I first heard Jack O’ The Clock in 2021, upon the release of Leaving California -- a magnificent example of how truly “progressive” music can bridge musical gaps and foster greater appreciation for artistic diversity. And now, the Vermont-based collective led by singer/multi-instrumentalist Damon Waitkus delivers again with The Warm, Dark Circus.
This brilliantly executed, near masterpiece of an album will keep you guessing from the opening harmonica riff (!) and banjo picking (!!) of leadoff track “The Ladder Slipped.” Americana, bluegrass and prog collide on this haunting song that, midway through, transforms into a Pink Floyd/Kansas mashup that just might give you goosebumps all over (despite the ghostly, ghastly lyrics).
Then there is “Dürer’s Rhinoceros,” whose title character is boldly depicted on the album cover. This is a 13-minute progressive-rock beast that sneaks and creeps before it stomps to a crescendo of anxious bass, feisty strings and ominous vocals. “This Is Just What It Seems,” on the other hand, reflects inspiration from some of the early acoustic Jethro Tull music Waitkus listened to with his parents as a kid.
Meanwhile the angular Rock in Opposition companion compositions, “How Are We Doing…” and “…And Who Will Tell Us,” combine for nearly 22 minutes of what press materials for the album aptly describe as “orchestrated chaos” -- complete with strings and woodwinds and vocal passages straight out of a cult psych-rock record from the Sixties. That's followed by the most memorable vocal performance of the album, anchored by metallic power chords that come from nowhere.
Your ears won’t believe those two pieces were written and performed by the same band that delivers the gritty fuzz-ditty “Division Blues,” the playful melodies and sprightly voices on “Stuck Inside of Elvis,” and the delicate, piano-led closing track “Snowman on a Ledge” (sung by Thea Kelley and, if played over the closing credits for a major motion picture, would keep moviegoers in their seats until the lights came back on).
Waitkus works as a psychotherapist, and his lyrics cut to the core of human existence in the 21st century -- taking on male fragility, artificial intelligence and the meaning of life itself.
This is one of those albums you can listen to again and again, and still hear something new each time. In other words, the best kind of album.
Track Listing:
1. The Ladder Slipped
2. Division Blues
3. Stuck Inside of Elvis
4. Sage’s Song
5. Dürer’s Rhinoceros
6. This Is Just What It Seems
7. How Are We Doing…
8. … And Who Will Tell Us?
9. Snowman on a Ledge
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
