A beguiling piece of modern progressive rock
Michael Rawdon | 09/12/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"For those of us who have mainly listened to the radio to discover new music, it seems like progressive rock spluttered and died after Marillion's heyday in the 1980s. But the advent of streaming MP3 stations over the Internet, such as Aural Moon, have shown me that this isn't so. I discovered this album on that station, and have been listening to it almost non-stop in the days since I received it.Jadis seems to have something for everyone, much of it spearheaded by vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Gary Chandler. Chandler's guitar evokes memories of Alex Lifeson's best, tightest work on Rush's Hold Your Fire album, and his smooth singing style (along with the vocal harmonies worked into their arrangements) is a big part of what powers the best songs. He sounds vaguely like Marillion's Steve Hogarth, albeit in a different vocal range, and his lyrics stand with much of former Marillion frontman Fish's work.The rhythm section of John Jowitt (bass) and Steve Christey (drums) is as tight as any group I've heard in rock, although Jadis mostly exchews the wacky time changes that signify some other prog-rock groups, so it seems like Christey is given fairly little opportunity to show what he can really do. Still, the pair successfully ground the music, and Jowitt often takes on a lead-bass role a la that employed by Renaissance.The odd man out seems to be Martin Orford's keyboards, which are neatly integrated into the music, but it's often hard to tell them apart from the guitars; they add essential color to the sound, but this isn't a keyboard-based group. Think of how Yes used keyboards on their 90125 album, and you'll get the idea.90125 is actually a good comparison for Understand (though Jadis happily avoids the excesses of Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin's sillier lyrics), as it contains both a healthy dose of hook-driven music while still exploring the potential of their sound and style. In that regard, they remind me of some of Renaissance's best work (Novella, or Azure D'or) in that they work from a basic idea and then spend the track exploring many different ramifications of that musical notion.My favorite track on the album, "Racing Sideways", epitomizes all of this: From the opening synth refrain into the opening verses and chorus, it's a lovely melody, fun to sing along with. After the second chorus, though, it dives into a bass solo, and then later into a driving guitar solo. It comes to an end almost too quickly."Where in the World" opens the album, and actually seems to have some single potential (although it has an unfortunate guitar riff in the middle which sounds unlike the rest of the song). But it's "Is This Real?" which grabbed my attention originally, mixing jangly guitar sounds (and some occasional acoustic-style strumming) with a captivating bass line.Overall, this album should appeal to fans of Marillion or of 80s Yes, and to anyone who enjoys fine performances and melodic songs. I'm going to have to buy more albums from Jadis, and I think they deserve wider exposure than they've gotten so far."
Another colorful and refined album from Jadis!
Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 02/28/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Have you ever heard the music of Jadis? If you have, you are indeed blessed - this band has been making it's unique and creative music for well over a decade, with little or no help from the press or "music biz"! For the un-initiated, Jadis are a band who were born out of the progressive rock revival movement of 1980's England (although they did not release their first major album until the early 90's.) They have been closely associated over the years with bands like Marillion, Pendragon, Arena, and I.Q. - and in fact, I.Q. members Martin Orford & John Jowitt are part of this particular Jadis line-up. However, Jadis simply has too original of a sound to be lumped into one "musical movement" or another. They do indeed invoke (at times) the progressive majesty of Camel, Yes, or (early)Genesis, but there is also a more modern and and dare I say "pop" sensibility about the band - so it is probably no coincidence that the members of this band site the likes of U2, Tears For Fears, and Crowded House as influences right alongside the usual "prog" culprits you'd expect! The music of Jadis is fueled by the outstanding guitar work of Gary Chandler, who rates as one of rock's most colorful players, with a variety of finger-tapping techniques, splashy U2-ish chord sequences, and fluid, melodic string-bending. Chandler's vocals also lend Jadis a big part of their unique musical identity, and he sings with a thick, warm, mid-range tone that brings to mind John Wetton, or maybe even Paul Young (of Mike & The Mechanics). I.Q.-stalwart Martin Orford adds a lot of depth to the bands music with an arsenal of modern synth sounds that reach beyond the usual Mellotron/Hammond Organ/Mini Moog-variety found on prog albums, and John Jowitt and Steve Christey make for one of the more creative bass/drum combinations in modern rock. "Understand" is Jadis' latest studio album, and it rates very highly among the band's albums (this should be an excellent place to start for those who have never heard them.) The songs are all melodic and memorable; they have some rhythmic/harmonic complexities, but never resort to structural-overkill, or "showy" overplaying. Some standout tracks include "Is This Real", "Alive Inside", "Racing Sideways", and the album's closing "epic" piece, "Counting All the Seconds" (which deals with the unfortunate subject of the unholy-marriage of religion and war.) The albums opener, "Where in the World", is quite a catchy, mid-tempoed, straight-forward rock song; and likely could be a "hit" if the music biz were not so saturated with trendy garbage at the moement! Chandler's lyrics are sometimes vauge, but always challenging to try to decipher. The bands arrangements are crisp and clean, and all the instruments ring-out lound and clear in the mix. To me, Jadis rates right behind Pendragon and Cairo as one of the top-crop of modern prog bands - and more people need to be exposed to their outstanding music! Perhaps Jadis are not the most complex, showy, or bombastic of bands in the prog field, but they have a style and sophistication that always keeps their music fresh and interesting. Pick up "Understand" and discover an exceptional and underappreciated band!"
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1