“Comin’ Back Again” starts out with the very college rock-friendly track “Do You Feel High”, which mixes equal parts Joseph Arthur, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band and OAR to make something that is wildly accessible. The White Stripes-like drumming of “Another Negotiation” really re-casts Jake’s band into something that is closer to Jet than anything, while Jake’s vocals themselves really tend to find themselves close to Toby Mac (DC Talk) and Michael W. Smith. In a sense, one can even hear hints of the hair metal influences that Jake must have grown up with. The slower, more contemplative sound of “Only Wanna Be With You” is really something different for those individuals who cut their teeth on the first few tracks of “Comin’ Back Again”. In “Only Wanna Be With You”, Jake’s band really dons their English hats and puts forth a brand of music that is stuck straight between Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Def Leppard (especially the more ballad-like tracks of the band).“We Don’t Need Anybody” seems to be the first track on “Comin’ Back Again” that really suffers; there are Southern-fired rock riffs present throughout but they seem to only be emulating the greats instead of breaking new grounds. The incorporation of female vocals on the track tries to lend the track more in the way of credence, but there seems to be a disconnect from Jake and the Van Zandts. However, it only takes Jake until the next track to redeem eirself, as the soulful licks that start out the title tracks are immediately reminiscent of “Free Bird” and the vocals as heart breaking as anything that Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard could whip up. This is the perfect style of music for the frats and coffeeshops spread all throughout the United States, as Jake does not have one specific genre to fit into.
Eir skillful movements through rock, country, and even the pop-rock of The Beatles will ensure that any and all listeners, regardless of age or musical tastes, will tune in again and again. Fans of Radiohead and Oasis will be more than pleased with “Flys On Your Skin”, a track that re-tools the common sound of “Wonderwall” and “Karma Police” in a brand new way, while still maintaining some commonality with the original tracks. When each of the tracks is a passable radio hit, where can a review honestly poke through Jake’s “Comin’ Back Again”? This time, 5,000 fans cannot be wrong.
Top Tracks: Comin’ Back Again, Flys On Your Skin
Rating: 7.6/10
Jake Stigers Comin’ Back Again CD Review
Thank you for the review. How did you find out about the music? Much appreciated.
Jake…..
Thanks also for the review!
Nunzio
Guitarist/co-writer/vox with Jake and the roots
We reviewed Comin’ Back Again and No Vacancy in 2005 and 2006. I am just transferring old reviews to the current version of the website. Thank you so much for commenting on the post.