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The title of this album says it all:
GUITAR + VOICE. No drums. No bass. No keyboards. No dubious
production. Not even any overdubs. One guitar, one voice. And
for the most part, Jindra’s minimalist approach is effective
and even stunning. Instead of hiding the melody and the lyrics
behind walls of distortion and pounding rhythms, they are
brought to the forefront in true singer-songwriter style. With a
cup of your favorite coffee in hand and this disc spinning on
your stereo, you can almost hear the patrons of a smoky coffee
bar in the city chattering away while Jindra sits before them on
a stool preaching his poetry to whoever will listen.
Since the album is so bare, it
must rely solely on the power of Jindra’s guitar playing, his
voice, and crafty songwriting techniques. In all three
categories, the disc fares quite well. The guitar playing is
fairly complex, straying from the familiar beaten paths of tired
chord progressions and boring vocals, instead choosing
suspensions and arpeggiated chords. Jindra mixes some of the
best elements of jazz, folk, rock, and the singer-songwriter
genre into an interesting style that is both unique and
exciting. Though the guitar sound is mostly pleasant, the
consistent sliding and squeaking sounds that crop up throughout
the album get annoying after a while. Sometimes it sounds as if
Jindra is plucking the life out of the strings, and the tone
starts sounding metallic and processed.
Though Jindra’s voice is
unique, it is not too difficult to peg him with comparisons,
though none are fully accurate. Daniel Lee Hotard comes to mind.
Every so often, he sounds like someone making fun of Robert
Plant. Some of Jindra’s higher range, throaty, round tones are
painted Jeff Buckley all over. His falsetto, which would be very
effective in moderation, is often overused. When he lingers in
that high register for too long, he starts sounding less like a
man begging for happiness and meaning and more like a cat
begging for a bowl of warm milk. But for the most part, the nine
songs on GUITAR + VOICE: VOLUME ONE do a good job of showcasing
the best parts of his large, impressive range.
Jindra’s songwriting is top
notch. The lyrics really drive most of the music. These are
songs of hope and God and those damn swindling Indians. He
spouts proverbs and poetry at an alarming rate. The songs
usually run long, so he has plenty of time to say what he wants
to say. "As promotion sucks my life away and core
philosophies escape my mind I wish I didn’t seem to care that
much at all," he sings on "Didn’t Seem To Care
Much." One of the album’s most entertaining pieces is
Mystic Lake, which tells the tale of a down and out gambling
addict who blames all his problems on the owners of a Native
American casino. "Those evil, pagan Indians have stolen all
I own," the character fumes.
Jindra plays music that’s
memorable and easy to listen to but that still challenges the
listener to step outside the world of mindless pop songs. He
turns the black and white of guitar and voice into a full
spectrum of sounds that strike resilient tones in the heart and
in the ears. It would be interesting to see what Jindra would do
in a full band setting, though it may only hinder his style,
which he has worked out so well. While this album may not be a
gem, it’s definitely and interesting and rare stone.
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| Artist |
Jindra |
| Title |
Guitar+Voice vol 1 |
| Label |
Jindra Estate |
| Reviewer |
Shelby Rushing |
| Rating |
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