Detroit’s psych-pop/indie-rock duo Jobbaloon recently dropped an audacious new album, The Invitation.
Talking about the album, Jobbaloon shares, “Our music is written from the heart, for our own enjoyment. The writing process is a cathartic, healing, and liberating experience for us, and the hope is other people will have the same experience listening to the songs. If the process is enjoyed, that should translate into an enjoyable end-product.”
Attending a Jobbaloon live performance comprehends an audio-visual experience of vast proportions.
According to Jobbaloon, “We put a ton of work into our live show, to make it as engaging as possible. We wanted to create a full-on psychedelic experience, beyond just music, complete with trippy video projection, smoke, lights, confetti, etc. I desperately didn’t want it to be a typical, lackluster, local show, but to be grabbing and in-your-face and hard to look away from.”
Made up of Joshua Achatz (writer, producer, guitar, piano, vocals) and Justin Squires (producer), Jobbaloon’s sound sits somewhere betwixt and between the psychedelia of the Beatles and the delicious innovation of Billie Eilish.
Reflecting their unyielding philosophy of never “selling out,” Jobbaloon not only mocks themselves and Detroit’s garage-rock bands but has no qualms about mimicking any band if it results in commercial success. Vowing to never sign with a major label, which they devotedly denounce at every opportunity, they nevertheless are fully prepared, with a glut of excuses, for when they do sign.
Encompassing eight tracks, The Invitation starts off with a brief “Intro,” like something from a sci-fi religious movie, which flows seamlessly into the title track, flavored with glossy, oozing tones topped by spoken word vocals.
Highlights include “Bm,” traveling on low-slung piano hues trickling out atop a tight, measured rhythm. Dreamy, melancholic vocals infuse the lyrics with meandering textures, almost languid, yet alluring. “Baby Blue” delivers bluesy, sleazy coloration capped by urgent vocals and radiant harmonies.
“Am” opens on an elegant piano topped by glowing Queen-like harmonies, half-burlesque, and half-psychedelic. Aglow with trembling flavors, the tune rolls out sumptuously, as if walking a red carpet into a ‘50s movie premiere.
“Days” features indie-pop savors aligned with tangs of alt-rock-lite. Reminiscent of the Beatles crossed with Styx, Talking Heads, and America, along with Leon Russell, “Days” shimmers with luscious layers of undulating satisfying sonic energy.
Completely original and exquisitely inventive, The Invitation defies categorization into any usual genre, being imaginative and definitely captivating.
