If you’re a fan of folk music that includes some intriguing production elements making it more contemporary and experimental, then CommonJack is the artist for you. This new album It Would Be Enough is an adventure from start to finish, including some fascinating folk, rock, and singer songwriter elements that makes it right at home here on ETTG.
The opening track is a reprise with some really wonderful harmonic elements. It’s a song that has a high level of production complexity, so you just need to close your eyes and lean into the style. It’s a unique way to open up what is sure to be a creative album.
The second track “Keep It Easy” is the kind of song that is why you listen to folk rock; the electric guitars have a nice groove going and the vocal settles in nicely. The style is satisfying and engaging, inviting the listener to connect with both the sound and the lyrical content of the song. I’m not sure there’s a good specific comp for it, but if you like 70s era folk rock in the vein of Tom Petty, you’ll find a lot to like here.
“Your Side of the Bed” has a lovely, unexpected jazzy piano in the opening. The vocal opens up a bit here, almost theatrical in style, so the combination works really well. In a world with Laufey selling millions of records (and selling out stadiums), I’m surprised more music like this isn’t taking off. Something about the melodic structure here reminds me of a vintage Ben Folds style track; it pops well. Just when you think “ok, I know what this is” and ease into it, a Herb Alpert-style horn part emerges taking the track to a whole new level.
“On My Mind” clicks back to something more akin to a Fleetwood Mac adult contemporary ballad. The vocal feels cool and unhurried here. It’s a song that feels tailormade for cruising down the road, maybe to reflect on a relationship that could have been (or might be ending). The glowing production on the chorus reminds me of something straight out of the Bruno Mars “vintage effects” catalog and, to be honest, I’m not at all mad about it. This is an absolutely cool song.
“Wearing Thin” and “To Live Is To Lose” are both more acoustic driven, so one might assume I’d like them more than others on the album. But honestly, they’re all a part of an articulate and well written album. I can’t pick a favorite. The fingerpicking on “To Live Is To Lose” is really peaceful, so it works well here. The harmonies on the chorus are quite satisfying as well. I would say it’s a definitive folk sound, with elements of 60s style Greenwich Village folk and more contemporary harmonic polish.
The penultimate track “Let It” has a careful acoustic part (a uke?), which sets a jazzy mood for an almost-spoken style of vocal here. The understated production conveys intimacy, a soft memory expressed to someone close. While the lyrics are rather existential in seeing how you fit in a complex, often-challenging world, the groove of the track feels peaceful. That juxtaposition works nicely, conveying a sentiment that seems perfect for a gentle coffeeshop playlist.
The album concludes with “Surface Tension,” which contains some of the loveliest harmonies on the whole album. The song feels a bit like folk, but also has an aspect that feels like it was informed by the local barbershop quartet. The “I will always love you” line feels like a barbershop tag, which leaves the listener with this lingering peacefulness at the end of the album.
Usually when I write these album reviews I get to the end and am pretty glad to have featured a few of the tracks. With this album from CommonJack, I was honestly ready for a few more. The twists and turns of genre, style, and mood were not as stark as it might seem just reading the review. They all come together under this mood of Americana-adjacent music appreciation. To be honest, I feel like I could sit down with CommonJack and his record collection, with both of us smiling and singing along. What I mean to say is that there’s a familiarity to the sounds here, a comfortability to the album that I really admire. This is definitely one worth exploring and enjoying.
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