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Nov 22, 2018 Justus Proffit & Jay Som By Stephen Axeman

In this concise and complementary work, Jay Som and Justus Proffit partner to create a bedroom pop EP of restrained sensibilities. The project initially began when Jay Som moved to Los Angeles and met Justus Proffit, leading to a jam session that formed the bedrock of their creative collaboration. The EP maintains this spontaneous dynamic as the songs progress from twee to lo-fi ‘60s pop numbers à la Olivia Tremor Control.

Nothing’s Changed opens with a sigh of preparation as one makes before committing to a task that could make or break you. Though the stakes never seem that high as the softly distorted guitars and intimate snare cracks fill in the soundscape, it feels as though there is a sense of uncertain possibility animating the movement of these songs. This patchwork style assemblage never deviates too heavily from home-base, but allows for sonic experimentation that stretches the horizons of their palates enough to conjure up unexpected parallels.

In “Tunnel Vision,” the first song to have Jay Som sing lead, the plodding, delayed percussion and bass synth swells recall Disintegration-era The Cure, while elsewhere the breezy melancholy of “My World My Rules” recalls pre-Loveless My Bloody Valentine. And while both of these artists would go on to gain international renown, it all started somewhere at home with the openness and determination to experiment. (www.jaysom.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7/10