Listening to “Oblivion” by JACQ caused compare-and-contrast thinking involving “Mont Blanc” by Quiet Hollers. JACQ is the solo venture of Rich Jacques of Los Angeles. He describes the sound of JACQ as “quiet introspective songs, minimalism with a cinematic feel.”
“Oblivion” is a declaration of love in the final moments before the bomb hits. The realization brings perspective (“Everything seems more alive”). There are no regrets as to what was never done, because he carries the thought of his lover to oblivion. Just one last kiss before they go.
“Monte Blanc” is also about the dropping of the bomb, but in the aftermath. Again, there is perspective - "I used to worry about what clothes I had on, the school recitals and the manicured lawn…“and then the bomb.” But the message is about regret, including having spent time writing and reading about subject matter that doesn’t help his family survive - “Shed a tear for the books I shoulda read.”
Two fundamentally different songs, but both deserve praise.
“Oblivion” by JACQ
“Mont Blanc” by Quiet Hollers
ABOUT RICH JACQUES:
If, as the old adage says, that
you can tell a person by the company they keep, then Rich Jacques’ CV speak
volumes about him. By adopting shifting roles, from producer to songwriter to
guitarist to artist, Rich has built up an envious set of skills which in turn
have led to work with a host of notable musicians and create music for all
manner of media projects. He is also know for being a member of 80’s infused
alt-pop band Right The Stars which has so far resulted in three critically and
commercially well-received albums and more recently can be found as one half of
the song writing/production team that is Aalta.
The road to this current place
has been as intriguing as it was unexpected. After moving out to LA almost
twenty years ago, dreams of becoming a session guitarist were soon dashed and
the reality became selling guitars and giving lessons soon replaced it. But the
latter soon became a full time job and from there he made the right contacts
and soon found his own music being licensed to a wide-range of TV shows and
films. From there he hasn’t looked back, doors opened, networks were built and
he has worked with everyone from Lisa Loeb to Men at Work’s Colin Hay and has
had his music feature in shows as iconic as Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill and
The Vampire Diaries.
His latest project is Jacq, a
solo singer-songwriter outing and one driven from a very personal place.
Unexpectedly, for someone who understands the art of big, instantaneous and
infectious music, Jacq is the sound of an artist using only a few core
components - guitar, voice and only a few additional musical details - to
create wonderfully emotive, spacious and drifting music.That said it is nothing
if not instantly accessible but feels more like an intimate conversation with
an old friend than anything more but there is something wonderfully beguiling,
warm and honest in its understated charm.
Whichever aspect of Rich
Jacques work you are familiar with, this latest creation is like little you
have heard him do before. If you are unaware of his long and varied career then
this is the perfect place to start exploring his work.
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