Jules

In some ways, its hard to believe Julien Chang made Jules while he was a high school senior. His classical training, skills as a multi-instrumentalist, and encyclopedic knowledge of pop music all suggest the experience of a significantly older artist. However, in other, more important ways, Jules could have only been made by someone so young. The songs on Changs debut album cant sit still -- theyre just too excited by all the possibilities music has to offer. His disregard for musical boundaries and eras is even more exciting because hes more than capable of turning his omnivorous taste into something original. On Two Voices, Chang combines dreamy Beach Boys harmonies, a soulful bassline, and gauzy synths into a thing of iridescent beauty -- and thats one of Jules more sedate tracks. As he jumps from one sound to the next over the course of each song, the detours he takes are just as engaging as his main ideas; for example, the funky breakdowns that punctuate Dogologues breezy fusion of gamelan and 70s soft rock only make it more charming. Frequently, Jules dazzles: Of the Past begins as slinky disco-funk thats just a prelude to the stunning, dancerly piano solo by Jeheiel Smith, one of Changs friends and former classmates at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Deep Green is subtler, yet the way it tumbles from its delicate acoustic beginning into prog rock majesty is no less impressive. Butterflies from Monaco is another beauty, with heart-shaped harmonies and an easygoing sway that almost disguises how much is going on in the track -- theres a guitar solo beamed in from 1968, then a rambling organ solo before it all comes together in the end. Fortunately, Chang is already wise enough to know when to pull back. Sweetly stripped-down songs like Somerville Demo and A Day or Two prove his songs have good bones, and more than a little in common with Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and Emitt Rhodes. That Jules is so hard to pin down is a big part of its appeal; wondering where hell go next is almost as exciting as the music hes already made. One thing is for sure: This album is an introduction to a first-rate musical mind. ~ Heather Phares