Jesse Harris – Feel

Jesse Harris – Feel / 2007 Secret Sun / 14 Tracks / http://www.jesseharrismusic.com / http://www.velourmusic.com /

The front cover of Jesse Harris’ “Feel” does not give individuals much of an idea how “Feel” will ultimately sound. The front cover is largely white and features the artist’s name and the title in a slightly nuanced style, with a “tail” of different colors running down the bottom center of the liner. What individuals should expect with ‘Feel” is an emotive, current style that plays on the sound of a Dave Matthews or a John Maher, albeit more tinged with a hippie/earlier rock style. While Harris goes through a number of different styles on “Feel”, there is a high amount of cohesion during tracks like “I Don’t Mind” with the rest of the album, as the same earnest and honest sound of both Harris’ vocals and the rest of the instrumentation shine through as clear as day.

While any of these songs could conceivably be a single on independent radio, the tracks all band together to create a solid album. It would not be surprising to hear any of these tracks on “Feel” go four or four and a half minutes, but Harris makes a watershed decision here to keep most of the tracks well below the three minute mark. This albums for a wider array of sounds to be broached by Harris, as well as to decrease the possibility of Harris running afoul of a repetitious sound. The most interesting thing about Harris during “Feel” is that eir vocals sound like they have been on other albums before, but when it comes time to try to figure out who Harris sounds like, one just cannot make that connection. Harris varies up the overall approach with “You And Me” in that there is a heavy alt-country type of sound that is dominant throughout the song.

This is mirrored in the slightly Irish sound of the percussion during the follow-up track “The Wind”. Simply put, there is always something present in Harris’ output during “Feel” that individuals can get behind and appreciate. I am of the mind that most albums that have over twelve tracks are going to suffer, whether it be through the band spreading themselves too thin or just putting garbage onto the disc. However, Harris is able to make a compelling album that stretches over 14 tracks; this bodes well for this latest album, marking the seventh in eir collection. Give it a go if you like pop-infused indie rock.

Top Tracks: The Wind, Shadow

Rating: 7.1/10