Marc Jablecki of Portland, Oregon has a succinct description of what he does: “I make music, in my shed.” He relocated to Portland from Lincoln, Rhode Island in 2010 just after high school, where he started a band, a studio and a music label with his brother. For the next three years he learned producing and songwriting; when the label shut down, he moved all the studio equipment into his backyard shed and focused on his own music. Within that shed he recently completed the five-song EP Hurt Gap.
Jablecki explains: “Hurt Gap describes how I felt after going through a tough experience in my life, but from a healthier, future perspective. Hence ‘Hurt Gap,’ the time in-between a trauma and the healed self. The songs represent different aspects of the strange emotions we feel while we're trying to figure ourselves out.” Musically Jablecki is partial to pop music but also loves bands like Radiohead, Beach House and Swans. He tried to make this EP “…sound like a pop record but with a darker, emotionally honest tone. I tried my best to make songs that are lyrically straightforward and focused more on the sound and tone of the record.” Jablecki recorded, mixed and mastered by himself on an old Mac with an older version of Logic Pro. The majority of the sounds are Logic instruments with a 2011 package of plug-ins for compression and EQ. My overall impression of Jabelcki’s music is that he really likes that old ’80s synthetic pop sound, though that’s partly a result of the equipment he’s using. At his best he creates mellow but engaging tracks that fit in with today’s song forms but with a somewhat retro feel. “Think Too Much” begins the collection with a Bob Mould portentousness. Low insistent notes are matched by a slowed-down drum machine, then joined by Jablecki’s sweet vocals, which makes for a striking contrast. His background vocals have a Beach Boys complexity along with an eerie, robotic, almost vocorder-ish quality. In the second verse, the drums come up to proper speed, which was a nice idea: the song now plays cleaner and less jam-packed. Lyrically it’s kind of a self-flagellating exercise, repeating “I fucking think too much” over and over. The track is almost six minutes with few changes, so it becomes more of a hypnotic experience. “Easy” is another slow synth pop tune with interesting digital drum patterns. You can hear Jablecki’s vocals more clearly, and though treated, this song confirms he has an excellent voice. The title “Easy” is something of a trick, in that “easy” usually means something good, but Jablecki keeps his knife sheathed until the end: “If you want the truth, I can tell you this: I never thought that I could even last a day / I want somebody new, I gotta break the news… I’ll never be who you want me to be / I am letting you down… easy.” This one fully worked for me, even with the scary voice effects at the end. “Internal:External” features mellow dreamscape synths with disembodied distant vocals. It’s hard to catch the words, so the track creates more of a vibe, feeling or atmosphere. The chorus voices evoke the 10cc hit “I’m Not In Love.” “Carolina” starts strangely with an unsettling phone message, then kicks in with tinny percussion, jazzy keys and a soulful lead vocal and amiable harmonies. This time it appears that the song’s narrator is the one being let down, if not so easily. “Just got to make it through the day / What’s the use? / Late at night I’m coming home, just want to talk it all away… because the loneliness has come my way / I’ve seen this day before.” The EP concludes with “Conceded” which feels like the most “commercial” of these tracks from start to finish. A lovely wall of sound with engaged, active vocals and sweet, almost syrupy keyboards.
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