Everyone who knows me knows that Parachutes by Coldplay is one of my favorite albums of all time. I can't stop listening to it at least once a month as it's the perfect time capsule for the 2000s and it's THE perfect album that oozes with nostalgia and possibilities regarding platonic relationships. I'm always in the search for artists who can capture that old-Coldplay sound while staying true to their own sound. Well, Spring Owls is a project you need to hear if you're on a similar quest.
Of course Spring Owls can't solely be determined with their similarities to Coldplay as they are completely different at the same time. The production style is very raw in Jesse's music, which adds to the nostalgic effect. Bella has a particular spacey sound that is achieved with the use of different guitar pedals and echoey vocals. It's recorded by Rich Morpurgo, produced by multi-platinum winner Anthony J. Resta (Duran Duran, Collective Soul), and mastered by multi-Grammy winner Brian Lucey's Magic Garden Mastering (The Black Keys, Shania Twain). The track is very dreamy and the echoey singing takes the song to another level, making it a ballad-like instant classic.
Age the Heart is a favorite of mine. In terms of lyrics and the concept, it reminds me of the classic grief album that the Antlers came out in 2009 called "Hospice" . The song drifts between acceptance and grief. The loud singing over the loud instrumentals turn the song into a catharsis of the internal turmoils that a person comes across while dealing with grief. Though it's not a song that tries to rebel against the unfairness of life, quite the contrary. Eventhough the song opens in a dark note, the progression of the song and the way it's headed gives the listener the sense of acceptance and the sense of trying to be in peace with the direction where the future is headed. All Here is a song that plays as a life lesson. It's about being present and gratitude. "Everything I wanted is all here to stay." sings Jesse Lacy in a confident tone.
The cohesiveness of the songs holds up really well and they feel like different fragments of Jesse's life that will come together in his upcoming record. It's simple yet it sticks with you due to the lyrics and the raw production that compliments the songs very well.
Listen to Spring Owls now: