Blair Jollands is easy, yet somehow extremely difficult, to pigeonhole. ‘Don’t Cry‘, the opening track on Little Comet, for instance, lies comfortably somewhere between Neil Young, Bon Jovi and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. A sun-drenched ballad resplendent with harmonica and gospel-like female backing vocals.
But then the title track comes in and is perhaps more akin to Supertramp‘s ‘Breakfast In America‘ or Crosby, Stills and Nash‘s laid-back brand of smooth Americana. What surprised me most of all though, was how ‘Wading In The Water‘ started in familiar territory – a chilled-out country rock vibe giving way to an eerie-sounding cello and an exceptional vocal performance from Jollands. This is a remarkable song and the high point of Little Comet.
‘Let’s Make Love Great Again‘ is another surprise, like a fuzzed-up John Cougar Mellencamp being backed up, unexpectedly, by the horn section from Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. By the time you get to the record’s endgame, ‘Pushing The Tide Away‘, which recalls the ’70s pomp of a Queen soundtrack album, Jollands has playfully hit us with a diverse set of musical styles that leaves us in no doubt of his not insubstantial talents.
This is New Zealand-born Jollands’s fourth album, and I think it’s safe to assume that Neil Young, circa Harvest, must have been on heavy rotation on his home stereo, most notably throughout the harmonica-led numbers on Little Comet, especially on the rousing ‘The Breaking‘. Other tracks, such as ‘Cruel World‘ recall the emotionally wrought style of Vance Joy and his ilk, while ‘No Turning Back‘ has an intense drive more in line with the aforementioned Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of the compositions on this record, yet somehow, some of it doesn’t quite click with me, or at least, it hasn’t yet. I think perhaps it’s when the songs veer towards Bon Jovi territory that I get a little put off (not that I have a problem with JBJ and co, they’ve just never quite appealed to me like they do to others).
What I will say though is that when some of these tracks do hit me, then they really do possess that wow factor, such as that fabulous ‘Wading In The Water’ or ‘The Breaking‘. Both are magnificent tracks.
There’s not much more I can say about it, really. It’s a good album. Perhaps better than my rating would suggest. But you know how sometimes, you just know you ought to like something more? Yeah. This is one of those.
Little Comet is out now on Glowb Recordings.
