Malcolm Jack – Mirror Moon (10 Hymns for the Fall)
Self Released – 2 November 2018
Vancouver artist Malcolm Jack (born Biddle) first crossed my radar almost a decade ago, upon the release of his band Sun Wizard’s debut EP, When They Were Right. I got to see this jangly indie rock four-piece twice at small (though extremely cool) local festivals, but since the appearance of a couple of singles and their sole album, Positively 4th Avenue (Light Organ Records) in 2011, Sun Wizard has been inactive. While I remain unaware of the band’s status – I guess either ‘on indefinite hiatus’ or done for good are the case – Jack has gone on to produce some extraordinary, increasingly folky music, the latest offering of which is the beautiful Mirror Moon (10 Hymns for the Fall).
Since the last Sun Wizard manoeuvres the prolific Jack has founded or co-founded two other bands: the psychedelic pop outfit Capitol 6 (2011-2013; two singles, one EP and an album), and the more experimental, yet still accessible “Dystopian band for Dystopian times,” The Dada Plan, who have to date delivered two wonderful albums. Also, prior to this new opus, there have been two Jack solo releases – 2013’s I’m My Own Bewitchment, and 2016’s incredible 27-minute psych-folk suite, Inner Circles (2016). The latter was certainly a stylistic about-turn for Jack, whose talent upon its release was hailed by Vancouver magazine The Georgia Straight’s writer Alan Ranta as ‘mad genius.’ Exuding a charmingly shambolic, bohemian-drifter-minstrel vibe, and having to that point released a string of very impressive albums, it is easy to appreciate and concur with longstanding Jack champion Ranta’s high praise.
While Inner Circles ushered in Jack’s dramatic new sonic direction as a lengthy widescreen epic, Mirror Moon (originally titled Wide Rain) sees him further hone his folk song-craft, sounding even more comfortable in this acoustic territory than he has in any previous setting. Consequently, Jack’s mesmerizing songs bear influential echoes of such as Marc Bolan (circa 1968-70), Syd Barrett, Bert Jansch, Michael Chapman and the Incredible String Band, as well as contemporaries like Devendra Banhart, Kurt Vile, Robyn Hitchcock and Vetiver.
Despite the overall richness of sound on the self-produced Mirror Moon, the personnel delivering it is comparatively slim. Jack sings and plays acoustic guitar with considerable deftness, and is backed by just two musicians and one backing vocalist, Debra-Jean Creelman (Frazey Ford / Dustin Bentall / Aidan Knight), whose contribution to Fingers Crossed!!! in particular, is wonderful. Weaving all kinds of magic throughout is the great Vancouver-based violinist, Tegan Wahlgren (whose gorgeous 2018 solo debut, Bird/Alien, released as Wallgrin, is highly recommended), while Scott Smith (Just a Season / Aaron Pritchett / Rich Hope) brings his twangy Dobro stylings to the proceedings.
Concerning Jack’s fascinating, cryptic lyrics, there are many layers to peel away to get to the heart of his uncontrived, cerebral poetry. In fact, as he recites rather than sings them, three of Mirror Moon’s ten tracks – Most Entertainers, Tantalus King and Tourists Calico – are essentially poems set to music, underlining Jack’s locally revered reputation as a latter-day cosmic bard. This said, one doesn’t have to look too far to find pellucid evidence of the songwriter’s ecological concerns, particularly the pollution of rivers and oceans, such as mention of the despised Kinder Morgan in Most Entertainers, or “…holy water sold by Nestlé” in Tourists Calico, and this verse from the title track:
That’s the oil pumping out of the earth / That’s our mother in perpetual birth / But we can drive forever / When the ocean’s dry
One aspect of Jack’s work and persona that marks him as such an intriguing artist is that, although his musical progression to date appears organic, the air of free-spirited creativity he projects and obviously embraces is such that even after two sublime albums of mystical folk music that fit him to a tee, should his next release be a free jazz or heavy dub project, those like me that appreciate the man’s artistic aesthetic wouldn’t be at all surprised. Bill Hicks once said, “We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution,” a philosophy I am sure Malcolm Jack subscribes to, so rather than take it for granted he will continue in Mirror Moon’s vein it will be interesting to see what comes next from this singular talent.
Released November 2nd as a digital download and limited edition CD. Order via https://malcolmjack.bandcamp.com/
Photo Credit: Christine Phang