The music created by Jed & Lucia is very sedate, and Jed’s vocals at the onset of ‘World on Fire” are of a level that Cat Stevens would be proud. There is not much in the way of instrumentation during this first track, but the harmonies that the two make during the track more than make up for that overset, whether planned or not. Having one of the disc’s longest tracks start off “Candles in Daylight” is always a tricky proposition, but the molasses-slow tempo of Jed & Lucia would render even the shortest track into what would seem to some to be a five or six minute opus.
The style of indie music that Jed & Lucia play is interesting, but fans have to have patience with them if they expect to be rewarded. The electronic ghostliness of “Can’t Cage A Bird” adds on to the style of music that Jed & Lucia have been creating since “World on Fire” started. What results is a style of alternative music that is similar to the output of Bjork during eir “Human Behavior” era. Even if the disc does not crack the forty minute mark, strung along listeners will be able to stretch their experience to what feels like two hours. The compositions on this album are not extraordinarily dense, but the interplay of certain elements will cause listeners to focus in that much more. There is not a radio friendly track on this album, but that would only wreck the flow of Jed & Lucia.
The tracks on “Candles in Daylight” all work together and create a shambling, slowed-down experience for anyone that is focusing in. The one thing that I think would be a nice chance of pace would be a track or two that used a snowball effect to start off slowly and then reach a quicker tempo. I’m not looking for thrash metal, but I would like to hear Jed & Lucia attempt to break outside their comfort zone once on this track. A song like “Just Like A Boat” does this to a very small degree, but I would like something that starts off all quiet and slow and turns into riveting and a little quicker towards the end of the track. For anyone that is into tender tendrils of music washing over them, “Candles in Daylight” is a perfectly serviceable album that will give listeners a tremendous amount of joy.
Top Tracks: Can’t Cage A Bird, Unborn
Rating: 5.4/10
Jed & Lucia – Candles in Daylight / 2006 Unfound / 11 Tracks / http://www.jedandlucia.com / Reviewed 21 October 2006
[JMcQ]