ALBUM REVIEW: Prisyn – Jaye Jayle
JAYE JAYLE, is in fact a moniker for the musician Evan Patterson from Louisville, USA who has broken away from his band of the same name to delve further into the experimental and the unknown in collaboration with CHELSEA WOLFE producer Ben Chisholm. The duo have offered up a conceptual album that fuses together gothic electronica infused with a hybrid of NICK CAVE and DAVID BOWIE. This is an experimental album in many ways from the contrast of Patterson‘s deep loungey voice which, over the ten tracks sometimes breaks into rambling spoken word juxtaposed against glitchy layers of dark electronica which twist and curve dystopian computer game to almost orchestral with a sweeping cinematic to the fact it was recorded on the garage band app whilst on tour with his band in an ever shifting landscape with ever an ever melancholy cadence.
Starting off with a suffocating bleakness A Cold Wind has a trip hop vibe with eerie organ playing over Patterson‘s deep vocals followed by 80’s style keyboard as the track picks up pace and slowly surges forward. Blame It On The Rain is more upbeat atmosphere with glitchy and trippy samples where the vocals take on a BOWIE–style spoken word. Stated to be on a drug fuelled trip through a place that is contrasted to his Louisville home the lyrics “tackle Southern conservatism and Patterson’s efforts to rise above a culture he doesn’t believe in”.
Short instrumental Synthetic Prisyn changes the soundscape again with rising orchestral tones leading up to the subdued intro of The River Spree, the longest track of the album at over six minutes. Throbbing low bass backs up this acid induced paranoid stumble through a new city “Berlin that’s what I’m in” building from calm but darkened tones into a chaotic dissonance or as Patterson describes “an organic mixture of digital contrabass and interweaving drones”.
Starting off quite shoegaze-y Making Friends transforms into gothic electronica with a pounding bass line and Patterson‘s deep vocals match the bass frequency as he describes another encounter of a taxi kidnapping in a dreamy nonchalant way just like in the following track. Dual overlapping vocals overlapping add a dream, ethereal atmosphere which merge well into Guntime, featuring an Americana resonance that Patterson embraced so effectively in previous release (with the whole band) No Trails and Other Unholy Paths. Jazzy electric piano is broken up with strange glitchy effects and the song describes the disturbing experience of having uzis pointed at his band by a gang of young men in while on tour in Paris.
Changing tack to a more threatening aura Blueberries portrays the vibe of a drive through a thunderstorm in Atlanta. Poetic distorted spoken word is contrasted with subtle but eerie synths in the form of ominous piano/organ and deep bass lines. Thumping industrial drums kick off I Need You which is a couple seconds shorter Than River Spree. Merging into computer game style effects and simple one note piano keys with subtle background layered vocals and playful sound effects with a chilled toned-down atmosphere throughout. Last Drive is an evocative instrumental, experimenting with effects and dissonant piano leading up to closer From Louisville, an ethereal return to trip hop mirroring the opening track to bring the journey full circle.
Theoretically, Prisyn should appeal to a wide range of fans due to the blend of elements of so many genres, trip hop, blues, goth/post punk and 80s electronica. Patterson asserts IGGY POP and DAVID BOWIE as strong influences but merging that with more recent artists such as CROSSES and the more mellow elements of DAUGHTERS should give a good indicator of what to expect. Overall, it feels like the whole experience maintains an understated, haunting vibe. Each track flows well into the next and despite being slightly tough going, with depressing tones and chaotic malfunctioning robot like moments its worth taking the time to venture through the trippy subtle soundscape a few times to really appreciate it. Patterson‘s experimentation has paid off and will no doubt leave punters excited to witness the results live and loud.
Rating: 8/10
Prisyn is out now via Sargent House.
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