FEATURED ARTIST
Rj Bacon
Sydney, Australia
ARTIST BACKGROUND
Rj Bacon is an artist whose main sound is Jazz. His latest project entitled 'Shine A Light' was written, recorded, and produced in Rj’s Sydney studio. When asked about his sound Rj Bacon let us know that he likes to write, record, and produce laid back, smooth jazz tunes in his studio and that he plays all of the instruments on those projects. He is in fact his own band and this excited me! I was enticed into this project so let me talk you through it track by track!
SHINE A LIGHT
REVIEW
'Shine a Light' is a 7 track project from Sydney-based artist Rj Bacon. The project opens with the track 'The Positive Song'. This is a track that brings jazz and funk to the front of everything in its path. I love the way that the instrumentation mixes genres without deviating away from the main feel. The vocals are uplifting and fun even though they're minimalistic. There is a range of jazz arrangements found in this peace from electric guitar to melodic keys. I love this opening track, it's true to its name! 'Cactus Tree' brings brass instrumentation to the spotlight before fading out to leave room for the vocals. The vocals are smooth and velvety to provide the perfect accompaniment to the smooth electric guitar riffs and steady drums. As the piece progresses we hear a classic jazz-inspired piano solo that is followed by a brass solo and back to the piano solo once more. I love the way that the instruments talk to each other in this song. Track 3 entitled 'Double Exit' makes you feel as though you should be on a beach in the middle of Latin America whilst sipping a cocktail in the breeze. This track knows exactly how to consume you into a land of carefree bliss through steady drum percussions and a simple yet effective piano solo. This is a track that you would definitely get lost in if you chose to listen to it. It has a hypnotic feel about it with that classic sprinkle of class that is native to jazz music. 'Push Back' takes you into the realm of blues hinting at the sound of the 1960s through its bass guitar riff. The jazz element remains clear but the bass definitely hits with the sound of blues. Something that interested me in this track is that although there is a real classic theme found in the piece, it also introduces modern key synths that feel at home throughout. This is a great track for those of you looking for a modern interpretation of a classic sound. 'Al and Tee' tells a story, it almost sounds like the theme tune to The Pink Panther which again hints at the feel of the 1960s once more. I think this piece would go well in independent crime movies or as a theme tune to a series of crime dramas that are set in the 1960s. It was really refreshing to hear this piece, I haven't heard anything like it for a very long time and so I enjoyed getting lost in the ambiance of it. The penultimate piece brings full class and swag with a feel of swing about it. It's the type of song that makes you want to grab a martini and sit in a jazz bar whilst feeling sophisticated. I love the lyrics in this piece also, they're clear in the mix and offer something that you can easily sing along to light-heartedly but meaningfully. Concluding the project is a track called 'Chubby's Lament'. This has a very slick and beautiful sound right from the start. The track opens with a saxophone solo and boy it hits differently. As the piece progresses we hear a very slow tempo percussion and bass that take you through the ages alongside a gorgeous sounding guitar riff. I really love the way that the instruments work together in this piece. I think that the slow tempo really brought something extremely gorgeous to the track that would have been lost had it been any faster. As the melodic of the piano come into play we hear something slightly faster to change the feel without taking away from the slow and steadiness of the overall piece. I got extremely lost in every note of 'Chubby's Lament' and will definitely be listening to it again. This is a professionally put-together project from start to finish and I would go as far as to say that it is polished to perfection. It's classy, easy to listen to, and extremely moving. I would 100% recommend hitting that little button below to give it a listen!