Local Review: jives – wait for me

jives
wait for me

Self-Released
Street: 03.21
jives =  Epona + Kainbeats

From the moment the first vocal harmony can be heard alongside a distant guitar strum and snappy percussion on wait for me, the newest EP from jives, it sucks you right into the vast atmosphere. Opening with “summer’s gone,” this snap of percussion, backed with a spacey sub, joins melodic elements to support the track’s very blissful vibe. Following with the faint sounds of nature and an accompanying piano melody, the title track of the EP gives itself time to build, creating more of a sober, at-peace feeling through the brilliant use of chimes and disembodied, chopped-up vocals. The track closes out softly just as the piano melody from its intro creeps back in. 

As “wait for me” fades, gentle piano and deep harmonizing vocals can be heard over the sounds of water, giving a tranquil feeling to the third track on the EP, “*fallen stars*.” The groovy beat lends itself nicely, giving a bit of energy to a song whose other elements build on a slower feel. Flipping the script in front of the previous track, “digital;awakening” uses the initial keys to add energy, whereas the beat and the simple piano playing pulls the reins back and slows the song down. The only song with a feature, “home” with mu arae, opens up with pitch-distorted vocals. The singing catches the ear first, playing more of an instrumental role as opposed to acting as front-facing vocals. 

“iron blossom” delivers a real final bit of funk with its punchy beat and atmosphere. “iron blossom” is bouncy throughout its initial buildup, and then opens up to breathe when the cracking bass falls into its rhythm. wait for me closes with “tears (is this even real?),” a somber song using plucky guitar, piano, dreamy vocals and a lo-fi beat. jives impresses tremendously with this release, giving the listener a beautiful lo-fi journey overall. This is the kind of release that is perfect for early morning hangs, drives at dusk or can set the mood as the leaves change and summer transitions to fall. Give this and the rest of jives’ discography a listen over at his Bandcamp. –Connor Brady