Jordyn Bern - take the lead demo tapes

Jordyn Bern

take the lead demo tapes
self-released; 2015

3.0 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Jordyn Bern is a young musician from South Lake Tahoe, California who recently released a demo entitled Take The Lead. It’s a very basic, sparse EP that simply showcases some of the talent that Bern possesses. 

It’s good that Bern considers this a demo because in all honesty the recording quality is about that quality or less on the songs. Bern seems to be very well aware of this, as he has stated that there are six songs he plans on releasing as part of his official release. 

One thing I have to mention as a warning to your eardrums is the varying degrees of volume of the songs. The first song is extremely soft. In fact I had to turn up my studio speakers almost all the way to hear it. Well, the second song is about 7 dbs louder. I almost damaged my speakers and thought I wouldn't regain my hearing. I’m being hyperbolic but seriously be careful. 

Bern starts the EP with “Rain Down” which revolves around an acoustic guitar and his vocals. Bern plays basic chords and laments sadly about ambiguous topics. The lyrics are the strongest aspect of the music on this song. He sings, “There's a rumble in my chest, The noise is awfully loud, Must be the thunder overhead / It's lookin' for me now.”

The vocals are much too loud on “Ethereal Mystery (feat. Not Entirely Sure)” as Bern mumbles through indiscernible lyrics. You can hear an occasional nose sniffle which didn’t add much to the music. Bern goes for another sad, melancholy song on “Let Love Die” and “Run Free (feat. Not Entirely Sure)” is sort of a rock/alternative song. The remaining two songs are played on an acoustic guitar.

Suffice it to say Bern is going to have to make some leaps in improvement if he hopes of being on par with notable, prolific singer/songwriters. The production and recording quality will have to improve and hopefully Bern can tighten up some of his singing as well although it wasn't bad on these demos. Ultimately this demo leads to a case of wait and see. I’m rooting for anyone who has a passion for music so let’s hope Bern can deliver. 

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