Project Description

JACK R. REILLY
“MIDDLE EVERYTHING”
Album Review

(15th October 2020)

Reviewer: Amelia Torresan

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Kiama-born, Triple J Unearthed winner Jack R. Reilly has released his debut album ‘Middle Everything,’ and I don’t know about you, but I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for artists who have managed to be productive during this pandemic. Produced by Jonno Tooke from Cry Club, Jack confessed that the album is inspired by the “feelings and thoughts that come up during meditation”, so you can totally expect that the lyrics he has written are going to be deeply poetic.

The first song on the album ‘Shaking for Now” gave me Bowie-esque vibes right from the get go. The echo on the distorted electric guitar and thumping bass rhythm set the scene for a funky song, while the vocals, which come in not too much later, are soft and breathy giving a more moody, melancholy feeling that contrasts the instrumental. The light sprinkling of harmonies throughout the song enhances the musical depth of the song, along with the variation of dynamics and instrumental inclusion in the song. If you had to listen to only one song on the album, my choice would be ‘Shaking for Now,’ as it is my favourite on the album. I think it’s a given that I won’t be able to stop thinking about this song, even if I wanted to!

Following along with the variation of dynamics is ‘Who Can Say.’ The song follows a similar pattern to ‘Shaking for Now’ in terms of building up and softening dynamics throughout the song, but with a bit more heaviness and more angst in the lyrics. The tone of Jack’s voice in this song is full of emotion, which really adds to the experience of not only listening to, but feeling and relating the song’s lyrical content. The piano that features in the bridge duplicating the melody, makes it sound somewhat eerie and subtly echoes the darker undertones of the song. I picture this song being the one people mosh to at a concert, screaming the chorus at the top of their lungs, with all the emotion they can muster. If you like La Dispute, this is the song for you! 

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Now if you’re the kind of person who likes a more retro sound, then ‘I Don’t Want To See Us Like This’ will transport you into the world of music from the 1990’s with a thrumming bass and a funky synth piano motif. The vocal melody in the chorus was laid-back despite the instrumental being quite intense, it was interesting and needless to say, entertaining. I found myself singing along with harmonies on the hook of the chorus!

Up next in the lineup is the song that won Jack R. Reilly Triple J Unearthed’s NIDA music video competition: ‘Blood.’ The intro of the song made me do a double take to make sure I wasn’t listening to Pat Benatar’s ‘We Belong’ but it honestly made me so keen to see what would follow. Jack’s classic dynamic changes feature in this song too, with the second verse introducing more layers of instruments, engulfing the listener in sound. The harmonies in the hook/chorus were the perfect cherry on top for this song, adding a delicate depth, when all instruments but the bass and a simple strum of the electric guitar feature. The harmonies and vocables, being sung by a female voice beautifully contrast Jack R. Reilly’s deeper melodies.

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The fifth and sixth songs in the album, ‘Old Guard’ and ‘Where You Find Yourself’ were quite interesting to me. I interpreted their lyrical ideas to almost contrast each other. ‘Old Guard’ explores the ideas of haunting memories of past mistakes, how an individual is their own worst critic. Choosing to make this song almost entirely acoustic except for an electric guitar kept an element of his signature musical style while also exploring a softer, more intimate vibe. ‘Where You Find Yourself’ on the other hand, is more about acceptance with notes on acceptance. It reminded me a lot of a song by Hollywood Undead called ‘I’ll Be There’ where the lyrics explore a melancholy theme, while the instrumental sounds quite upbeat and cheerful. I personally adore this kind of music so this song will be a nice addition to my ‘Songs to listen to before bed’ playlist!

‘Into The Fire’ explores a more grungy, Nirvana-like side to Jack R. Reilly’s music. Dissonant guitar chords, fast paced bass, and an uptempo guitar beat build up the song towards the chorus only to then be stripped back in the verses. This is definitely another ‘mosh song’ that I can see pumping up the crowd in the middle of a set! Jack’s vocals in this song are crisp and clear, standing out against the heavier, distorted instrumental. Kind of like if Liam Gallagher of Oasis decided to sing vocals for The Who. The lyrics themselves are more on the angsty side which fit the overall mood of the song. It’s 100% a song I would have listened to while I was going through my emo phase in high school!

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‘Title Dictates Behaviour’ starts the beginning of the softer, more acoustic songs that finish up the album. I really loved the reverb effect on the vocals in this song as it created an echo that had me picturing Jack R. Reilly singing this in an empty concert hall with his voice. The song focuses on the theme of self improvement that comes out of self reflection. The feelings and thoughts that come from meditation are the inspiration behind the album and they’re most definitely prevalent in this song. The instrumental follows an emotional progression, the acoustic beginning showing raw emotion of loneliness while the sections with more inclusion of instruments represent a passion and determination to “be better.” I’m sure seeing this song live will be filled with emotion and the crowd filled with phone flashlights swaying to the beat.

‘Some Days’ and ‘Newland Street’ bring an end to ‘Middle Everything.’ ‘Some Days’ has a structure similar to a song that would be classified as the ‘Interlude’ of an album as it is short and simple, musically and lyrically. The guitar rhythm that is played throughout the song is quite catchy and the high pitched melody that features between verses is beautifully haunting and brings a more eerie feeling to the song. ‘Newland Street’s mellow guitar motif and the lyrics both explore a feeling of feeling lost and wandering around trying to find oneself. This is the song that features on a film soundtrack when the protagonist is questioning their life choices while walking around their neighbourhood in the early hours of the morning.

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Jack R. Reilly’s ‘Middle Everything’ is a smorgasbord of musical styles, yet he manages to maintain his musical signature on each song. There’s something for everyone; harder, more angsty songs, softer self-reflection songs and all inbetween wrapped in a cute, easy-to-listen-to bow. The lyrics are poetic and allow the listener to self-reflect while being a part of an immersive musical experience. ‘Middle Everything’  can be compared to a late night conversation under the stars: deep and philosophical, mellow and calm, with maybe a couple of intense discussions here and there. If you’re a fan of Oasis, The Who, or Arctic Monkeys, be sure to check out Jack R. Reilly’s album “Middle Everything!”

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MIDDLE EVERYTHING 
Track Listing:

01. Shaking
02. Who Can Say
03. I Don’t Like To See Us Like This
04. Blood
05. Old Guard
06. Where You Find Yourself
07. Into The Fire
08. Title Dictates Behaviour
09. Some Days
10. Newland Street

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Check out JACK R. REILLY below
Website – Facebook – YouTube – Twitter 

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To celebrate the release of Middle Everything, Jack R. Reilly will be performing an album release show in November.

JACK R. REILLY
Tuesday 10 November
THE VANGUARD, SYDNEY

6pm: Solo Show
8:30pm: Band Show

Supports: TBA

Buy tickets from HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB