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Review: 'Paul Jacobs'
'Pictures, Movies & Apartments'   

-  Label: 'Stolen Body records'
-  Genre: 'Indie' -  Release Date: '13.10.17.'-  Catalogue No: 'SBR035'

Our Rating:
The press release describes Paul Jacobs as being a Psychedelic/Garage Madmen which probably helps to explain why I have trouble listening to this album, the whole way through in one go!!

For me it would possibly work better as a series of ep's or just as isolated songs in a much broader mix from the opening clattering into several brick walls of squealing noise on the Image this is an album of uneasy listening.

Born In A Zoo has a central musical theme stolen from a 60's classic and then layered over with mumblecore vocals and odd strange synth noises set to derange the senses.

Changing sounds like it comes from the angry end of the late 80's shambling scene from the sort of band that obsessively listen to the most annoying bits of Sonic Youth records and try to make songs out of them.

Pics, Movs & Apartments is an almost acoustic stumble through some of Paul's best night in moves it could be a real cool pop song if they were trying to be a little more powerpop than weird.

Quarter To Eleven brings the clattering shambolic noise back to an ode to someone talking in their sleep and I really wish it was a Quarter To Zen instead of someone moaning about someone having to get up for work in the morning in the style of early My Bloody Valentine live before they'd defined there sound and were truly all over the place.

Your Favourite Number reins in the madness somewhat and comes across like a heavy Psych Ballad and is light relief and one of the best things on the album a cool slacker serenade with mad distorted guitars of course as it builds to a clattering conclusion.

Having taken a break before listening to what on vinyl would be side 2 that starts with the distorted mess of Come Over and the way this sounds would be like being invited over on a date by a serial killer in a horror movie rather than a cool date.

Words of wisdom is clattering in a closet full of out of control dental drills. The basement should be full on horror film madness but is instead more claustrophobic mumbling among the noise.

All I Need/Want is for this album to end while I marvel that he's nailed the Doctor Mix and The remix vocal style on this tune even if the music doesn't come close to those French legends the vocals are reminiscent of the Dr Mix version of I Can't Control Myself, before of course it gives way to a more almost normal song structure and singing in the middle.

See Through You is angry bitter rant among the clattering anoraks of sound and distortion that slows and disturbs more towards the end.

The album closes with Vacation if you manage to get that far and it's sort of a semi acoustic bumble with distorted vocals that is almost pretty in places.

If this sounds like your bag find out more at https://stolenbodyrecords.co.uk/paul-jacobs-pictures-movies-and-apartments/
  author: simonovitch

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