Jump Into Love

Remaining wildly prolific while existing in a bubble of relative obscurity for more than 40 years, Jad Fair, whether solo or leading his group Half Japanese, is an easy-to-miss hero of the American Underground. Early records paired crude, home-recorded production with songwriting that swung from silly to obnoxious to unabashedly vulnerable, all with little to no concern for technical singing or playing ability. Its no surprise that Half Japanese inspired so many artists seeking out voices of their own apart from the mainstream, and Fair continues to refine his own songwriting voice on Jump into Love, a record so deep into the Half Japanese discography that the artist himself isnt completely sure how many have come before it. While some of the core elements of the groups identity are still intact along with Fairs untrained vocals and wild, scattershot delivery, Jump into Love feels like a new step in an ongoing evolution.Output that began with 2014s Overjoyed often presented Half Japanese in cheerful and energetic states, with shambling guitar rock arrangements trying to keep up with Fairs declamatory vocals. Jump into Love immediately feels more anxious than excited, with opening track "Its Ok" made up of several different kinds of chaos: Fair yowls while a steady, rolling rhythm anchors messy guitars and screaming electronics. The lyrics to positive songs like "We Are Giants" and "The Answer Is Yes" are hopeful and encouraging, but both Fairs frantic delivery and the shaky instrumental performances add to the undercurrent of urgency that flows throughout the album. Theres a conflicted sweetness to many of these songs, as heavy, minor-key instrumentals house lyrics about wide-open futures and unlimited potentials on tunes like the brooding "Step Inside" and the nervy, country-rock-flavored "Shining Sun." Less serious-feeling moments like "Zombie World" and "This Isnt Funny" call back to the juvenile spirit of early Half Japanese, but the majority of Jump into Love finds Fair and his band communicating messages of joy and promise with strangely heavy tunes that dont quite sonically match their optimistic sentiments. ~ Fred Thomas