photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Album Review of Jesse Terry: Arcadia

Jesse Terry is a versatile singer-songwriter with a powerful, smooth, recognizable voice and a musical style that lands somewhere between soft rock and country rock-tinged Americana, though it doesn’t really land in one spot. More correctly, it moves around. It wanders. A lot. But let’s go back to that voice. Oh, man, what a voice!

I reviewed Jesse’s When We Wander a few years ago – that’s what Jesse’s music does, it wanders! – so my expectations for Arcadia were high. This record does not disappoint! It kicks things off with a bang, with a song that’s still my favorite (but just barely), the title track “Arcadia.” It opens with twangy guitar and a John Mellencamp attitude, with a rich sound bed and Jesse’s rich, full, emotive voice. The song is full of energy, the lyrics paint a picture, and the song lifts you up in a bed of music then just carries you along to the end. Simply put, a helluva song. Top 40 airplay fodder.

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Interestingly, Jesse follows it with “Burn the Boats,” moving from the rocking of “Arcadia” to a softer, sweeter, folky sound. It still has more of a motor than classic folk, but it’s definitely a lyric-driven, vocal-driven song. It’s a great song, but if you know anything about me, you’ll know that after rockin’ the house with “Arcadia,” I spent the first half of this song screaming “more guitar! more guitar!” OK, no I wasn’t. But in concert, I might’ve. That being said, if I’m not in a “more guitar” mood, this is one sweet, smooth song.

“Gunpowder Days” has a bit of a noisy, funky rhythm throughout, with vocals that vary from gritty to almost folk-influenced ’70s-guitar-rock high notes. It’s a song with grit and gravitas, one with some directional shifts you won’t see coming but that work quite well. Just plain cool.

“Poison Arrow,” next is a chunky rock number with psychedelic ’70s rock-style… organ? I mean, Jesse marches forward in this song, as is his style, much like any other singer-songwriter, but these arrangement are interesting, setting the album apart. And, really, how long has it been since I mentioned his rich, versatile, identifiable trademark voice?!

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

“Someone in Repair” is another candidate for favorite song. This one is mellow – but with the same awesomely rich soundbed found on the rest of the album – and Jesse’s voice fittingly has some rough edges. But it’s the cool lyrics that seal this one for me. Lyrics like “Be gentle to a stranger for they are someone in repair” are the payoff from much more detailed mini-stories in the verses. Even better, the song closes with the following lyrics: “I hope someday you will see yourself and recognize you are rare. Please be gentle to a stranger; you are someone in repair. Oh, be gentle to a stranger; we’re all someone in repair.” OK, talk amongst yourselves. I’m getting a little verklempt. (Yes, Mike Myers does it better than I do; I have a video link for that.) But I digress. Jesse co-wrote “Someone in Repair” with Craig Bickhardt, Jesse notes in this Instagram video. Well, I just praised Craig’s songwriting skills a few days ago. In fact, checking the liner notes, it looks like Jesse and Craig collaborated on nearly half of Arcadia‘s song. These two in cahoots? They’re playing with a stacked deck!

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

“Native Child,” next, has kind of a Tom Petty vibe, though its tempo and message are a little more heartland rock-like. In fact, “Waiting Out the Hurricane” opens with a Hard Promises-era Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-esque twangy guitar. Steadily thumping drums drive the song, with jangly guitars overlaying it, while a a very deep, desert west-flavored bass reverb appears from time to time. All together, “Waiting Out the Hurricane” is very early ’80s Petty-like noisy guitar pop-rock.

“Strong” is a strummer that tugs heartstrings as it builds in power, stirring up an emotional response. It’s followed by “River Town,” which is a my-hometown type rhythmic rocker you might expect from the likes of Mellencamp. Or, if you “country it up,” it could be a hit small-town country pride kind of song. Especially with the lyric, “Folks told me Tennessee and some southern accents would fix me right up.” Well, maybe not. In the story, Jesse moved back north again. You don’t hear that in a country hit.

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Penultimate song “Headlines” is a weighty song with foreboding music and sweetly cool background vocal harmonies – obviously, that’s what you always combine with foreboding music, right? – atop a noisy music bed. And I like the mid-late thick guitar wail. Musically, this song is so interesting, you won’t pay attention to the depth of the lyrics. Listen again and make yourself because “the devil’s in the headlines.” You’re welcome.

Finally, Jesse closes with “Where You Came From,” a sweet, fatherly song that’ll certainly be a family favorite for years.

All told, Arcadia is a song-driven, soft-to-mid-tempo disc that’ll appeal to heartland rock fans, featuring songs that’ll reach mainstream rock, radio rock, Americana, and probably even a lot of folk music fans. By the way, have I mentioned Jesse’s voice? (chef’s kiss emoji!)

photo by Alex Berger; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Album Review of Jesse Terry: When We Wander

His voice. His delivery. His lyrics. But oh, my god, that voice. With When We Wander, Jesse Terry has delivered a timeless, relatable, emotionally connecting album, varied in style, that’s an instant classic. At least, it’ll be an instant classic if you hear it, so give it a listen.

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

An appealing mix of folk, country, and rich, warm soft rock, When We Wander sits on the radio-friendly edge of singer-songwriter fare. And there’s something everyman about Jesse’s voice, at times recalling John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, perhaps a hint of Bob Dylan, and just about any other singer with a bit of hoarse gravel in his voice, though Jesse’s songwriting about the experiences of everyday life more often bring forth comparisons to Mellencamp.

The title track, “When We Wander,” kicks things off with a folky strum, but you’ll soon discover that’s just one of many influences, as this, like most of the album, are a meaty folk-rock-country mix, falling my onto the soft rock side of Americana. There’s a rich tone, a hint of scratch – not exactly gravel – and a time-worn knowing lilt to Jesse’s voice. There’s also an attention to detail – on this song and on the album throughout – that distinguish this as a major-league recording. Little guitar flourishes, weepy slides, the extra drum beat. Jesse Terry is big-time, with a voice and delivery expansive enough to fill a concert hall with intimate, reflective, storytelling songs.

photo by Alex Berger; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

“Strangers in Our Town” is one of those mid-tempo numbers that brings on a strong Mellencamp comparison. Stylistically, Jesse has his own unique spin, leaning a little more country but still a solid hometown pride number that’ll reach you deep inside, right where you live, and make you feel good.

“Ghost Stories” follows, bringing the melancholy, with a sad tone of remembrance, fittingly haunting to this slow number.

The mood doesn’t stay low long, though, as “Hymn of a Summer Night” has a playfully energetic bounce. Like “Ghost Stories” before it, it’s a look back, but this is a tale wrapped around fondness, affection, and complicatedly warm memories of a hometown. One of the neater verses recalls “All of us met on the banks when we got older, figured it was time to get out. But one by one, we came crawling back. There’s something about this simple river town.” It’s a song that’ll make you remember where you’re from, whether you stayed, left and returned, or exited for good.

photo by Jess Terry; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Jesse weaves in and out of uptempo happiness, slow sadness, and melancholy in-between though tales of recollection and stories of times gone by and yet to come remain a familiar theme.

One of the other standouts on this album is “Little Fires,” a mid-tempo tune full of real-life strength and struggles: “There’s little fires outside my window, little fires out of the corner of my eyes, little fires beneath the surface. I can’t put out these little fires.” Of course that’s mid-song. There’s set-up before, and more noodling and a bit of resolution afterwards. Of course. That’s Jesse’s strength… and, maybe, burden. He’s a storyteller.

photo by Neilson Hubbard; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

It’s followed by an uplifting number, one that’ll help the listener – and it seems to help Jess – appreciate life, with lyrics that culminate in the chorus’ key phrase: “I’ve got somebody who understands, and that’s a pretty good hand.” The song has a nice country rhythm, what I sometimes refer to as a “git-along beat,” just bouncing along throughout, keeping the mood up, signaling that the guitar-slide is more reminiscent than melancholy, one of my favorite little tricks in this sort of mid-tempo, country-flavored song.

Jesse gives the album a soft, sweet, warm landing with the thoughtful “Just Out of Your Sight,” a both the album and the listener sway the disc to a close.

The rest of the songs are also worthy of mention, but they’re all within the themes and styles I’ve discussed already, so I’d just be repeating myself. Throughout, though, When We Wander is stylistically cohesive yet varied enough and sequenced well, making for an enjoyable beginning-to-end listen.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Jesse live in the Northeast in December – in Plymouth, MA, Stroudsburg, PA, Cortlandt Manor, NY, and Stonington and Middletown, CT. He’ll be in Mobile, AL on January 6th before spending the next few weeks in Florida. He has dates spanning from coast to coast in 2022, and some European dates in October and November 2022. So be sure to check the “Tour Dates” page of Jesse’s website for dates, times, locations, and ticket links for performances near you.