Released: 13th September 2019
Rating: ★★★★
There are not many figures who can draw as much intrigue and adoration like Jacob Read. From big-time sets with Horsey or a storied career of shows and word-of-mouth praise, he’s become a sort-of cult favourite across South London – the artist that your favourite bands will say are their favourite songwriter. It’s fitting then that after the sporadic releases of the past few years, he has a debut album as Jerkcurb that both spotlights and mesmerises in equal measure, moving and hypnotic at the drop of a dime.
Across ‘Air Con Eden’, Read’s world is blissed front and centre. Pulling from different years and times, it comes together seamlessly into a mesmeric daze full of emotion and scenery. From the spiralling Western-feel of ‘Shadowshow’, to the unravelling blossom of ‘Timelapse Tulip’ and the chilling tones of ‘Water’ – it’s a trip that keeps on giving and practically demands to be absorbed in as a whole. The swaggering swoons of the album’s title track sits as a true calling card of everything the album entails: smooth and bursting with warmth at one moment before engulfing into lucid psychedelic grooves the next. By the time the sun-kissed ‘Voodoo Salon’ and flighty ‘Aquarena Springs’ hits, you’re already a signed up member to everything Jerkcurb is about.
While it may have taken a while to get here, ‘Air Con Eden’ is a shimmering record that proves how essential Jacob Read’s voice is. Distinctly original, unafraid of boundaries and utterly charming – it’s an album that’ll continue to give in buckets for all who delve deep.
Jamie Muir
