ALBUM REVIEW: Remind Me – Jakub Zytecki

Releasing an album the day after it is completed is no small feat. Most musicians wait a while before releasing the final product, in case there are any tweaks that are needed, not to mention a usually lengthy PR campaign. Nevertheless, JAKUB ZYTECKI has decided to bypass the wait and release his new album on his own terms. Is it ambitious? Yes. Still, it showcases that he is writing his own rules. Remind Me is the best that the Polish guitarist has to offer.

The Change starts off with a gentle acoustic guitar mixed in with electronic elements before launching into a funky pop-rock song. The synths sound a lot like THE 1975, which makes sense considering that they are one of the inspirations for the album. Whilst there are vocals, the guitar is the most prominent feature, which is emphasised by the guitar solo that takes place halfway through the song.

This smoothly transitions into the title track, which is also the longest song on the album. As the synthy pop-rock continues, this one relies more heavily on the synths for more of a dance song. This quick genre change might have threatened to sound out of place, were it not for the brilliant production done by Zytecki himself, who also did the vocals, guitar and everything else on his own. Whilst the song does go on for a bit longer than needed, it is still fun a track.

While most of the songs are brilliant, from the interlude Things You Can’t Name to Future Shock and beyond, to an extent the heavy use synths does mean that some of the songs can easily start to merge into one another. Even the outstanding Heart, which has a rockier edge, falls prey to this, with the verses again in more of a synth-pop style. Whilst there is nothing wrong with synth-pop/rock, it can sometimes be hard to make it unique, and it is noticeable that songs like Morph stand out more when they add a rockier edge to proceedings.

Experimentation is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a part of life. There are fantastic elements to this album. It goes without saying that the guitar work showcases the best of Zytecki‘s skills. On the other hand, some of the songs do sound like there is a slight identity crisis, such as on Raum, a synth-pop number that wouldn’t sound out of place on either Top 40 Radio or in a nightclub. Fittingly, The Ends is the final song. An accumulation of most of what has come before, it starts off slow before becoming an upbeat rock song. Unfortunately, it ends abruptly, leaving things feeling a little rushed and unfinished. This is a shame because it is one of the highlights of the album due to the manner in which it blends the different genres together in a way that does not make them sound shoved together.

Overall, Remind Me is a great album but not a perfect one. The songs are well-crafted, and the guitar work is brilliant, but some of the tracks sound like they could easily fade into the background, which is not always a good thing. In a way, this is something that can be easily overlooked due to some of the genuinely brilliant songs on the album which make up for the slightly more forgettable ones. JAKUB ZYTECKI is a brilliant guitarist, and this album almost proves him to be at his very best.

Rating: 7/10

Remind Me is out now via self-release.

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