JOSH SKY "COMFORTABLE, VOL. 1" REVIEW
Review by: John Bair, Writer @hillbilly_chic
Edited by: Eric Martin, Writer/Editor @eamartin95
Album art for Comfortable Vol. 1.
The Jazz Pops
When asking Josh Elavsky who his influences were, I was surprised Maroon 5 was not in his manifest. Of his list of influences, I think the torch of George Michael burns brightest. Like George, his band’s jazz stylings pop through slow-building radio song form. The arrangements on their new EP, Comfortable Vol. 1, are fearlessly crafted with everything from electronic drums to full horn sections.
The ear-candy production is a master class in sonic-assemblage. A tape effect begins the album on “Love Daze” and creates the expectation of an immersive world for the listener. As the album unravels, this expectation is upheld. One of my favorite moments is the intro to “Surface Tension.” This section creates the experience of a listener eavesdropping on josh playing an acoustic guitar in an adjacent room.
Between the verses is a sample I have yet to place which feels important to the spirit of the album. To end Comfortable Vol. 1, the composition slows until it is unrecognizable. Much akin to a fin ending movie card in silent film, this production effect creates the feeling that the project is coming to a close in a masterful way.
Showing, Not Telling
I am encaptured by Josh Sky’s single “Love Daze.” Josh Sky’s writing shines through in this single. The universal rule of “showing, not telling” is exemplified in this track, with the occasional dialogue being suggested with character-cementing phrase.
The writing feels contemporary and reminds one of the R&B pop of yesteryear. Its indie influence rides the coattails of the “blue-eyed soul,” much akin to bands like The Neighborhood.
A Relaxed Confidence
After listening to this record for a month, the haunting in my head I have diagnosed to be the voice of Josh Elavsky. Relaxed confidence pervades his timbre that, along with his honest experiential lyric, paints a resolute self-portrait. His vocals are exemplified in the track “Oh No!” In this song, Josh croons above the controlled chaos of his band.
Waves
I had the pleasure of seeing Josh Sky perform at the 7th Street Entry for the band’s debut show. My fixation the whole night was the clarity of Josh Sky’s voice and the sonic waves of the band accompanying him. Beautiful Bossa Nova chords foamed atop the waves of the R&B swing and indie thump of Devin’s kit.
“Oh No!” is pinnacle josh sky band. It showcases Josh’s free ringing voice and the band’s ability to combine glistening jazz chords and neo-soul instrumental hits with indie-pop sensibilities.
Let’s Hang Out, Invite Your Friends!
Dinkytown in mid-September saw the first dim of summer leaves as it saw the first light of Josh Sky. Pylons and store windows housed the poster for Josh Sky Band’s debut performance at the 7th Street Entry. The picture: three friends on a tattered couch in a basement.
The Ethos of Josh Sky band is “I had a hard day, let’s hang out, invite your friends!“ The poster spoke to this, the music video for “Comfortable“ spoke to this, but it wasn’t until the debut Josh Sky performance that I felt it. The band’s smiles emanated from the stage down to their friends in the audience. People sang along to the tunes like they were their favorite songs. I couldn’t help but think that Josh Sky was soundtracking the lives of all his friends, and that “all his friends” is a phrase that included me and everyone else in the room that night.
Rippling the Surface
One debut album in, Josh Sky is rippling the surface of the Minneapolis scene. This is a group of friends who happen to craft shimmery indie-pop, and it is apparent from the crowd at their debut 7th Street show that people want to hop on the couch with Josh Sky and talk about love’s beginnings and ends.
Listen to Comfortable Vol. 1 on Spotify and Apple Music.
