Reviews:: The Mountains & The Trees I Made This For You
When I started scrolling through the lists of records coming out this summer, outside of Women’s new long player, I was probably most excited for Jon Janes (with a helping hand from Jillian Freeman of course) and his latest efforts under the moniker, The Mountains & The Trees. Behind the strength of a smile, and an EP that stopped most of Canada’s folk lovers in their tracks, he quickly found himself with a much larger and high profile (cough… CBC3… cough) fan base.
After seeing Jon and Jill hush a small crowd (and win over Paste magazine) @ NXNE, my excitement continued to grow. Watching the young musicians refuse to raise the volume above a hush helped them express a wide eyed view of sadness and love that makes the songs works. In fact, when Jon sang his last song on the floor, surrounded by a few fiercely loyal fans, the moment seemed perfect and I couldn’t help but think how many other artists would flounder trying the same move.
Unfortunately, I Made This For You seems to eschew the intimacy and Jon’s charm for bigger arrangements and volume. I fully realize that IMTFY was Jon’s first kick at the can with a bigger budget and more studio to work with, but as the arrangements get louder, Jon’s voice gets lost in the mix… and that’s a real shame. I know Jon’s a huge fan of Dan Mangan and undoubtedly, this album feels like he’s experimenting with some of the same techniques Dan unveiled on Nice, Nice, Very Nice. The difference is, Dan’s gruff voice is big enough to fill a room and tower over the most complex arrangements and Jon’s is better suited to express emotion in a Sam Beam styled whisper.
I’ve heard Jon play “Up & Down” live and in its most basic form and the track forces whole rooms to sway. Fans strain to hear the subtle electronics and smile when Jillian’s melodica appears but Jon’s vocals are what keeps people listening. On record, the beat dominates the mix and Jon’s story – the most compelling element of the song – takes a back seat. The spirited bluegrass “Traveling Man” is a personal favorite live, but the vocal mix seems off to me here. Still, you can’t take away from the picking, playful cowbell that punctuates a verse or the simple, pure message.
That’s not to say Jon can’t handle the bigger arrangements. The lead single, “More & More & More” showcases a huge, echo filled surf guitar, subtle harmonies, floating strings and drums that manage to keep time and still feel like they are trying to run free but even with all of those elements competing for space, Jon holds the spotlight and his honest take on love resonates to anyone that listens. Needing to get away, he mentions he “sold his only guitar” to get the cash to escape, but for most of the record, it feels like he traded it on Craigslist for access to a room full on instruments and felt obliged to use each and every one on this LP. On his last EP, horns, strings and hand claps all served a purpose and made a concise and powerful point. This time around a lot of the textures seem to be added simply because he wanted to push his comfort level and find a bolder sound.
I know this is probably an unfair critique of a band I will happily line up to see and refuse to write off because of one record, especially when you can strip down almost any song the duo offer up and be won over by the melody and the vocal interplay. I can point you to countless examples of how easily Jon shines without all of the layers (“The Times” certainly proves that), but the bottom line is there’s no denying the talent Janes as a performer and you can see why he makes friends AND fans at every show. I just feel this record hides most of what makes him stand out from the crowd and moves away from the elements that made me fall in love with the band.
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MP3:: The Mountains & The Trees – More & More & More
WEB:: http://www.myspace.com/themountainsandthetrees
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at 8:04 am and is filed under 2010, Canada, Music, Reviews, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
