Jared Bartman uses a nuanced vocal style on Jersey Shore that evokes the likes of Ed Harcourt. After listening to this quite a few times it is clear that Jared is an old soul, which is a great thing. These songs are a complete piece of work that are cognoscente of one another and treat each other kindly.
His subject matter for songs comes from a variety of places. "I Shall Not Care", the opening track, is adapted from a Sarah Teasdale poem of the same name. The track has a slinky vibe to it.
"A Conjugal Scene" is waltz-timed gypsy flavored trip. Megaphone Voice, Accordion, Smith-Corona Typewriter, Ukulele, Contra Alto Clarinet, Clarinet, Tablas, Frame Drum, Shakers, Cajon, and Glockenspiel build quite an organic sound that you don't hear every day.
The old soul that crafted these songs has put a lot of attention to small details and sound. Slight embellishments make a big impact when there isn't a wall of noise in front of you. There is a cinematic quality to these songs in the way they tell stories. The instrumentation is mixed just right with Jared's strong song writing and his ability to see the bigger picture for the overall sound of this cool album. I really enjoyed hearing multiple songs in Waltz and Polka time signatures.
I had the good fortune to help book Jared for a Dedicated Ears Song-Writer Showcase at Cafe Ballou a few weeks back and was as impressed with his performance there as I am with this album. See him live! Jared also has a cool ep out, I Refute Technology.
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