More often than not, we miss out on perfect timing to cover an artist or album and are just waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce once again with some appropriate posts. Joshua David Thayer is one of those artists that’s been on our radar for some time yet eluded proper coverage (Our fault!). That said, we’re making up for it now and tackling new full-length So Little, Close To Nothing ahead of its’ release! So yaye us? But more yaye this new record from a multi multi-instrumentalist who handles, wait for it, vocals, bass guitar, upright bass, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, baritone guitar, tenor guitar, lap steel, ukulele, resonator guitar, keyboards and synths, glockenpspiel, drum sequencing, and percussion here. Hence the 2 multi’s.
“We Won’t Relent” is a grand introduction to the world of JDT for those unfamiliar and a refreshing re-emergence of the epic Rawk opener with a brisk percussive pulse (From Jason Smith) that leads into some big grooves and a bigger choruses with “Pulled And Pushed” retreating into a quirky Indie music world that’d sound right at home on either the Napoleon Dynamite or Stranger Things soundtracks. “Keep The Sun On My Back” has an early 2000’s feel to it and the kind of new Alternative Folk storytelling that Jeff Tweedy (On his own or with Wilco) or Stephen Malkmus mastered around then while “Get Down” sounds like that moment in a Western where separate conflicting parties are converging to the ultimate showdown with the way JDT builds tension along with some actual “conflicting parties” accompanying in the form of Tracy Grammer (Violin), Michael McLaughlin (Accordion), Silas Hite (Mandolin) and the Stick Bunny Choir on backing vocals (Aaron Muller, Chris Hewat, and Peter Muller).
“Pay” adds some more flavors to the So Close… tasting menu with a little Reggae/Island (In the way The Police used to do) nods to start then turns into this haunting Jim Jarmusch-esque Indie soundscape which flows into “Rules of This Game” as it lingers and twinkles for a spell. “Pick Up The Fight” is a welcome musical misdirect, beginning quite tenderly with Thayer’s vocal delivery subtle yet strong before erupting with a wall of sound further in, “Do You Want To Change Your Life?” is large in the way that Peter Frampton’s iconic “Do You Feel Like I Do?” is but put through a ’90’s Alternative filter and “Makes No Difference” is stirring, with a buzzing hum about it to end So Little, Close To Nothing with some poignant prose.
So Little, Close To Nothing is out on December 5th and you can do your part to get the record into your earholes the moment it arrives by heading here or to the stream below. For more from Joshua David Thayer, hit the trail of socials found by clicking here or here.