“Cue” by Jaunt – Review
Review by Spencer Smith.
Score: 8/10
Jaunt’s second batch of songs following 2016’s Chat, Cue, is a startlingly short and remarkably cohesive collection of Canadian indie pop gems. This EP is the glamorous, cooler sibling to the group’s more wistful, pensive debut, keeping with the beautiful vocal harmonies and vast atmosphere, but cutting track lengths and taking their rhythm section’s grooves to the next level. That is not to say these songs lack patience or are deprived of ideas; the band has simply perfected their brand of dreamy, psychedelic, yacht-influenced indie pop, not wasting a moment of this release.
The opening track kicks off with a slow, emotive acoustic melody joined by swelling synths, before blooming into a James Blake-esque verse complete with melancholic crooning, synthetic drums, and subtle electronics. The end of this track rides out on a beautiful chord progression, akin to the hazy vibe of Chat, but with layered percussion at its backbone. It transitions perfectly into the second track, “Best Case,” a slow-paced funk number reminiscent of Vulfpeck, featuring a huge guitar hook paired with frail clarinet trills. Next is “Intimate Sunset” which, to me, delicately paints a portrait of a bright, summer drive with a loved one.
My favorite moment here is “Faster Interactions,” whose drum part feels like a continuous stumble over itself in the best way possible, alternating between slow, organ-driven sections, and stacato synth bursts in the chorus. The outro rides on the phenomenal bassline and percussion, something that I do wish the band did a little more; however, the lightning-fast nature of Cue fits it so nicely, it makes it too easy to return to. The closer provides a dreamy, spacious sustain, lyric-less, but unbelievably rich in its sonic depth. This EP is one of the best I have heard this year, and is less than 14 minutes in length: there is no reason not to listen to it!
BUY IT: https://jauntband.bandcamp.com/album/cue
JAUNT’S SITE: https://www.thebandjaunt.com/
This article was written by Spencer Smith and was edited by Dustin Butoryak of the WPTS Editorial Board.
