EP REVIEW: Paradise – Jamie’s Elsewhere
Yes, you read correctly. New JAMIE’S ELSEWHERE music in 2023. After nearly a decade, JAMIE’S ELSEWHERE are back. Like, actually back. The last time the four-piece were writing music in this incarnation was around 2011 for their second album They Said A Storm Was Coming – let’s be honest, a lot has happened since then. Notwithstanding the line-up shakeup that followed TSASWC, other changes include the birth of what we now recognise as big-league social media, a huge musical scene shift and a certain little global upheaval around March 2020.
Paradise could be classed as a “concept”; a great deal of the subject matter concerns the aforementioned rise of social media and the digital life that’s become a cornerstone of modern society. Online life is put under the microscope on this EP and whilst it’s not a new concept, the execution is stunning.
As the first new track to grace the ears of listeners both new and old, Escapist sets a relatively subdued scene. It’s not blastbeats and breakdowns from the off – and with good reason. Vocalist Aaron Pauley’s range and timbre begins markedly different from his last JE appearance – though ten years would do that. It’s more mature and with full touring experience – at this point, Pauley has sang with OF MICE & MEN for longer than his time with JAMIE’S ELSEWHERE. Inevitably, comparisons will be made; however stylistically the bands are awfully different.
Paradise and Avatar turn up the heat and we’re reminded of how JAMIE’S ELSEWHERE do things. Huge synth leads that keep within a relatively narrow range, but with bouncy fun riffs make Paradise feel full on – indeed it flies past; it’s the shortest track on the record. The chorus earworm “Just one click away / Digital DNA” is hard to shift. Avatar brings us back to proper JE vibes – higher register dissonance and semitonal breakdowns along with the jarring time signature changes keep you on your toes. It’s one of the record’s standout tracks.
Poisoning Eden is a real melting pot. Detuned, groove-filled guitar riffs from Matt Scarpelli give the verses bounce and an immediacy which is offset by a mellow, yet still funky chorus. It’s a tortured and conflicted track – when outlining the subject matter the band explain that “even if we did make Paradise, we’d still bring human problems to it—the way we pollute the earth.”. The mix of group vocals and fries in the outro is particularly haunting.
Seperate Me feels almost like a throwback, but in all the best ways. Widdley-widdley riffs (technical term, promise!) alongside Pauley’s screams and minor-key synths give the 2011 vibes we’ve been so nostalgically waiting for. That said, the final track is still fresh and keeps us excited for whatever is coming next for JAMIE’S ELSEWHERE – the replayability of this record is truly impressive. We’ll be blasting this EP for months to come yet. Let’s not wait another 10 years, hey guys?
Rating: 8/10
Paradise is out now via SharpTone Records.
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