Jay Nash is almost in LA and ready to hit Hotel Cafe for the “Official” drop of his new CD Diamonds and Blood on 3/8, Tuesday .
However, don’t worry if you haven’t seen him or wonder if he is coming to your town. There’s a list of his tour dates for the US and crossing the pond as well on the Friday past blog with part 1 of this podcast.
January Podcast with Jay Nash
Within the context of the podcast 1 and 2, Jay talks about this CD and we talk about many things but this is the part where I get to review Diamonds & Blood
Review:
Diamonds and Blood is the first CD where Jay has stepped out from behind his acoustic guitar to focus on his vocals and it really a step out on the edge for Nash and it’s really some of his best work– though he whipped through the recording session in record time (pun not quite intended) with Chris Seefried producing. The music is incredible. The musicianship is top-notch and I wish I had a list of everyone on this CD. (I will be buying a hard copy of this one for sure! I want that cover art). The keys, the guitar work is amazing and I dig all of it. There’s not a mis-step in the entire CD– it’s powerful, potent and authentically Jay Nash’s sound that seems to have really come to fullness as he steps up to the mic and opens up his voice and his soul!
Track 1: Till I Get Through:
This track is the source of the title and is perhaps one of the most romantic tunes in the record. It’s a “crank it up tune” and I can’t hear it enough. As I write this, review, I am listening to this CD to get the nuances– though I listened to it at least 3 times yesterday (heading to LA and back). It’s powerful, very thoughtful and real in its’ intimacy.
Track 2: Shake It All Off
The song that’s for all of us struggling to get to through the mire and muck of connecting and understanding in relationships, friendships or as men and women. As someone told me, ” don’t overthink it” and that’s what this song is about– just feel, let it roll. This is just a great song about the difficulties of this situation. “.. the engine light it won’t stop glowing” is as apt phrase that something’s off but not able to nail down the exact problem. The point is to just ” give me a sign, we can still shine. Shake it all off”. This is a great song to follow the first track
Track 3: Us Against the World
A killer song of what it takes and how in a relationship there are miscommunication, hardships, difficulty connecting & understanding but it’s also about two people against the world that seems to be conspiring against them.
Track 4: Hang Around
The testing of a relationship– the back and forth between men and women– as they suss out the relationship and that while she seems to be unsure of what is between them, he’s got enough going on to hang around and wait till she figures out what’s going on. A silky song with the angst of a love affair that might be working out but then again, might just be falling apart. His timing on this is perfection.
Track 5: Lights Come
An upbeat dramatic turm that’s more thematic of a love affair that’s long over and the woman who waits for someone who will never show up. She doesn’t realize it’s over and continues to wait.
Track 6: River Prayer:
This is one of the most powerful songs of the CD and if you listen to it enough times (oh try about 30 +), the depth of the emotion, meaning, power becomes so real, so tangible that you almost feel like Jay is right there singing to you because this is a hymn to life, to his family. It’s one of my favorite songs and one that I welcome when caught in traffic because Nash takes one on a soulful journey down this river. It’s simply drums, organ and a bit of guitar work. (If there’s something I missed, someone tell me!). One rides the waves of Jay’s emotions on this one.
Track 7: Labor Day Blues
This song has been around a long time and has been part of Jay’s repetoire for touring. This is a great presentation of this great song that’s so much of home (wherever that might be). It’s bits and pieces of emotional truths and lies that we tell ourselves.
Track 8: Golden State Goodnight
Jay and I talked about this song on the podcast and it’s really something to listen to — because it’s about California, the Golden State. Yet Golden State is as much about life, women, LA, friends, pseudo-friends, the So. California lifestyle and how it masquerades as truth when sometimes it’s more smoke and deception and how intoxicating it is and yet eventually drops you flat on your face. Nash presents these 5 verses as a series of lessons about life in California and how much he loves it.. but can no longer handle dealing with the pseudo-reality.
It’s very much a love song to LA, California and its lifestyle as it is an indictment of what it really is– an addiction. (* I know. I grew up here and know the scenes he describes).
We will never forget you Jay Nash.. we here in California miss you already.. though you are coming into town and now you will only be here for a night or two, we miss you already because you aren’t just dropping into the Hotel Cafe or Room 5.
Track 9: Unshakeable
Another return of this Nash staple song finally done with so much power and eloquence that Jay at his best. He’s powerful, eloquent and his voice is so rich with emotion. I love this song
“for time, emotion can be held at bay”. This is a romance that keeps going despite the hurt and pain that these two inflict on each other, the connection between them is electric and can’t let go. The way that these two people know each other– yet wonder at what is going on between them. It’s the song of every one and anyone who has been in a relationship that seems to be both rocky and yet you can’t let go.
Diamonds and Blood is a MUST HAVE CD that will grow with you. The first few listens won’t have the same power, meaning or feel that the the 30-40th time that you hear this CD will have. I found more depth, the more I listened to it.
Stevie Wilson, LA-Story.com
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