Review Summary: He said, "I do admire how you take hard times with a laugh"
Confessions time – I listened to
Like Snow largely because of the respect I still have for Joss Whedon and his talented band of siblings, and the multitude of ways
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, without hyperbole, changed my life and still influences so much of what I do every day. It speaks to the frankly ridiculous reach of the show that it's still helping me discover great music in 2016.
Jed's first solo affair, 2010's
History of Forgotten Things, was an indie rock affair with flourishes of electric guitar and programmed drums, with songs bouncing their way comfortably along mid-tempo grooves. Six years later and
Like Snow feels like a pendulum swing to the other direction. I guess the phrase of the day would be subtle beauty, as Jed lets the simple melodies and haunting lyrics take the forefront, often with the barest guitar humming in the background. There are still enough instrumental flourishes to keep things fresh - a superb piano and drum build-up on "Innocent", a weirdly catchy vocoder chorus on the brotherly affair "Pennsylvania", co-written by yet another super-sibling, Zack Whedon. The surprise factor is Jed's lyrical prowess, as he deftly navigates boat metaphor upon boat metaphor without getting repetitive. The heartbreaking "Let Her Go" details his childhood relationship with his parents with detached sentiment -
"one an army tank symbolising strength/one a model airplane who keeps me at arm's length". With the recent passing of his father, Tom Whedon,
Like Snow seems to be Jed's month-early precognitive tribute, with its poignant themes of childhood and aging. Like the boat on the cover heading into pure white, and like his father heading into the great unknown, Jed's third solo effort is a weary yet brave step out into the cold water.
