Jaffajed – Jaffajed LP

Sometimes, instrumental records can be almost unlistenable thanks to the musicians’ habit to overcrowd each composition with so many unnecessary layers, details, nuances, and other sonic maneuvers. Do not get me wrong; sometimes it works to the advantage of the material, and usually it doesn’t, leaving the recorded material at the mercy of picky music critics and picky music enthusiasts. But there are also some records where the band fully understands that less always means more. It’s a jazz technique and approach that works quite well for any form of instrumental music. That’s the case with Jaffajed’s debut full-length album. It’s a wisely assembled, flawlessly performed, perfectly recorded, and expertly produced slab of industrial music that you need in your record collection. What this band managed to achieve through seven catchy, memorable, engaging, captivating compositions, some bands do not achieve in a lifetime. Jaffajed exemplifies how tension and release, calmness and groove, melody and aggression, and the already-mentioned less-is-more technique work together harmoneously, creating an epic sonic voyage where each upcoming composition sounds even better, assuring you to spin this gem all over again. And during this excursion, you’ll stumble upon so many brilliant, beautiful, immersive moments when each involved band member demonstrates tremendous skills, sheer professionalism, intense dynamics, an immaculate sense of groove, and a knack for writing and performing emotionally resonant songs where each sonic and rhyhtmic maneuver sounds utterly brilliant.

Jaffajed’s music exists somewhere at the crossroads of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, jazz, fusion, world music, and many other similar styles, audible throughout the entire album or individual compositions. As soon as you press play, you’ll notice these folks are not joking around with their music. Surely, their music is as complex, intricate, progressive, and challenging as much as it could possibly be for progressive rock standards, but unlike many other contemporaries, Jaffajeds know where to draw a line, calm things down, and let listeners take a break and breathe. That tension and release is something rarely heard or seen not only in progressive rock, but also in fusion jazz, rock, etc., but these experienced musicians crafted these compositions like very detailed stories that serve as part of a larger narrative. Most importantly, each lead, theme, scale, melody, harmony, chord progression, improvisation, or any other sonic maneuver is so thoughtfully, tastefully, wisely, beautifully crafted and executed. The guitars absolutely shine in this sonic equation by leading the listener on this epic sonic journey with their jangly, angular, sharp, reverby, sometimes clean, sometimes tastefully distorted movements without sounding too flashy. The guitar tells you a story, and you just need to listen. It packs a lot of emotion, heart, and soul too. In the meantime, the bass guitar sometimes follows those themes delivered on guitar, but also goes separate ways when needed, making particular segments even more progressive, complex, and enjoyable for the listening apparatus. Not to mention the fact that it contributes so much warmth, groove, clarity, and heaviness to this material, all while binding the mentioned orchestrations with rhythmic patterns. The drums is absolutely insane here, as all those thoughtfully assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics are solely responsible for all the dynamics and pace throughout the entire material. Based upon regular and odd time signatures, this self-titled album often levitates somewhere between progressive rock, fusion jazz, and jazz, making it such a captivating listening experience.

Jaffajed has created an outstanding debut full-length album where every composition stands out from anything you could hear on streaming platforms nowadays, not to mention how the entire material resonates, offering a pure treat to all those music enthusiasts interested in mind-bending, challenging, perfectly crafted, progressive rock music. If you love music as soulful and complex as it could be, Jaffajed’s debut will be right up your alley. Head to PDV Records and score this album on vinyl.