Jil Is Lucky - Jil Is Lucky

  by Lisa Torem

published: 16 / 1 / 2011

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Review

Jil’s legacy is that he has travelled the world and used these experiences to energize his songwriting. ‘Jil is Lucky’ is his self-titled debut and he has taken this album quite seriously, by creating layer upon layer of mystical sound bytes, haunting Klezmer and Gypsy folk, Eastern European and Arabic melodies. His lead single ‘The Wanderer’ is by far the most commercial and will appear on a TV commercial on British TV. It probably takes a while to figure out what he really wants to communicate at this junction, however. I’m not sure that these tracks comprise an album in the traditional sense; it’s almost as if the album defies categorization, not that that’s a problem, and there are sublime moments that lead you into some magical places, but you almost want to promise him three more album opportunities for the price of one; he’s obviously got lots to say. ‘Jesus Said’, for example, is comprised of a lavish band of mariachi-type players that crash into a super highway of sound, ‘When I Am Alone’ is quite percussive, and touching; “When I am alone, she calls me on the phone/She plays her trumpet.” ‘Judah Lowe’s Mistake’ is intriguing, “We rubbed the name of God on the forehead of the beast,” is certainly a strong statement. There are choral elements and it is a sincere story wrapped up in gorgeous strings, culminating in a stirring, whirlwind folk-dance driven outro. ‘The Wanderer’ begins with another lovely violin passage and a bleak statement: “The morning always comes to kill a dream” but the song ends up being a song about searching, with a crackling chorus. ‘Without You’ is a childlike ballad. An imaginative world is created through the simplicity of discovering that his love object is missed. It is certainly primal, in terms of theme, and Jil’s unusual vocal style, which is emotive, but indefinable, adds another layer of vulnerability. ‘Don’t Work’ may be more wanderlust coming through: “You don’t have to work that hard/Please don’t let the seasons go away.” ‘Supernova’ is an unveiling of guilt; “I always wanted to be a good, good, boy,” Jil sings, in his quirky voice. But, we never said that he wasn’t. “Now I know, I know, I know, I am not,” he concludes. Many of his statements hint that Jil must find himself by the end of this project and many times we will see ourselves through those intangible cracks. Once you settle into this aspect of self-exploration, the album makes much more sense. That said, the last track ‘Hovering Machine’ is a whole other animal. “Time has made the pages yellow,” Jil sings, caustically. Glimmers of instruments and truths escalate in and out and a super-charged, lengthy solo serves as an outro. Jil has an extraordinary imagination. We’ve been lucky to have shared his travels.

Track Listing:-

1 Winter is over
2 J.E.S.U.S. said
3 When I’m alone
4 Judah Loew’s mistake
5 Sidi bel Abbes
6 I may be late
7 The Wanderer
8 Without You
9 Paolo majora canamus
10 Don’t work
11 Supernovas
12 Hovering machine

Have a Listen:-