Album Notes
The follow-up effort to a successful debut album has always represented a potential “Bermuda Triangle” in the career path of every songwriter. Some choose to replicate while others become submerged by the weight of expectation. In the case of Jason Spooner’s The Flame You Follow, the choice could not have been simpler: reinvention.
Armed with a sound and a clarity of purpose that can only result from countless live shows and years of ensemble-performance, the trio, fronted by Spooner and rounded out by Andy Rice (bass) and Reed Chambers (drums), quietly entered a small rural studio in the dead of the Maine winter and set to work. Jason recalls, “We barely even spoke about the particulars at first... we all simply knew that it was time to make this record and that it was going to be a far cry from previous efforts. Our first album felt more like a collection of solo songs with the band folded in as an afterthought. We all felt the same need to build this record from the ground up around the core sound of the band... a sound that has been percolating independently for quite some time.”
The resulting urgency and energy captured during these sessions is apparent from the first seconds of the lead off track “Black and Blue”, which quickly establishes the cast of characters that accompany the listener throughout. Chambers’ infectious rim pattern is eventually joined by the gigantic foundation of Rice’s upright bass, followed by Spooner’s signature tenor and finger-picked fretwork on the acoustic guitar. The stage is set.
From here on, the listener traverses a varied sonic landscape of complimentary colors that work together to create interesting twists and turns while remaining loyal to the unique vision of the record. The character-driven "All That We Know" is a vivid account of a deal gone bad, complete with crystalline vignettes and tremolo guitar flourishes. The anthemic "Spaceship" glides to powerful sing-along crescendo’s at the hands of Rice and Chambers while providing insights around the human condition and the need to disappear. The moody, Wurlitzer-driven groove of the album’s title track, "The Flame You Follow" embraces the hook-laden choruses and provides foundation for the song’s haunting dreamscape imagery. The deceptive innocence of "Simple Life" draws the casual listener in with hints of Motown-infused horn and bass lines driven by an unrelenting two-and-four snare followed by musings on life in the modern world. The sinister “Hitchcock-meets-Tom Waits” swagger of "Fight the Fire" paints a tale of mystery punctuated with organ wails and a carnival of sax work. The album eventually subsides with Hover, a song that fuses graceful string work with some of the album’s most emotionally raw vocals and song-writing.
Recorded with celebrated New England engineer, Jon Wyman (a seasoned music man with strong rock, alternative and hip-hop sensibilities), the trio felt extremely comfortable at the thought of exploring new ground while drawing upon their collective well of influences. Spooner’s heroes are certainly present in spirit (Neil Young, JJ Cale, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Paul Simon), however there is a sense of maturity and reverence here that has allowed Spooner to tip his hat while maintaining and furthering his own voice and point of view. Also present is the strong influence of the impressive group of guest musicians hand-picked by the band to participate including Tim Carbone on fiddle (Railroad Earth), Ryan Zoidis on saxophone (Soulive, Lettuce, Rustic Overtones), songwriter Kim Taylor on guest vocals, Andy Happel on cello & violin (Thanks to Gravity) and Abbie Gardner on vocals & dobro (Red Molly).
In a day an age where high-speed, on-demand technology has flooded the market with singles and threatened the album itself as an art form The Flame You Follow is a refreshing reminder. “My goal from the early writing stages of this record” Spooner explains “was to create a piece, a collection of songs where the whole felt great than the sum of the parts. All of my favorite records were pieces; Dylan records... Floyd, Bowie, Beatles... we all focused on keeping this cohesive from day one.” Spooner also comments on the project’s interest in exploring the darker corners of the streets. “I’m admittedly a fan of records that delve into the shadows a bit. Neil Young’s beautifully dark Tonight’s The Night was a formative record for me. Pink Floyd’s Obscured By Clouds “ is another major one... and certainly Patty Griffin’s masterpiece Living With Ghosts.” The results, through Spooner’s lens, are brave portraits of struggle, self discovery and, eventually, wisdom.
Artist's Bio
This multi-award winning New England-based songwriter discovered his father’s collection of eight-track tapes as a child and never looked back. After early exposure to songwriter legends like Neil Young, Paul Simon, Jim Croce and Van Morrison along with Motown heavies like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight, Jason was inspired to start making the rounds on coffee house stages in his teens. Shortly thereafter, he spent time in Europe performing in folk & blues clubs and on the streets of London and around Spain. Once back in the states, he landed a job at a roots & blues record label where he witnessed numerous Blues legends (including members of the original Muddy Waters band ) making magic in recording sessions. Before long, Jason jumped head-first into the Northeast's burgeoning songwriter scene.
The maturity and strength of his impressive debut album “Lost Houses” quickly began to turn the heads of fans and critics alike. Within a few months of the release, he added a blistering rhythm section (Andy Rice and Reed Chambers) to the supporting cast, establishing The Jason Spooner Trio as one of the most interesting and noteworthy up-and-coming acts since Kathleen Edwards or Martin Sexton.
If Jason's debut hinted at the potential of a unique new artist, his stunning 2007 sophomore release "The Flame You Follow" expelled any doubt and cemented Jason and the band as one of the "bright light" acts on the scene today.
In recent news, Jason won the International finals of the 2007 Mountain Stage NewSong contest held in New York City. He was also honored as a national finalist in the 2007 Starbucks Music Makers competition in Boston. In 2006, Jason took part in a tour of the East Coast as a selected member of the Falcon Ridge “Most Wanted” Preview Tour. He was also recently named as a 2006 New Folk Finalist in the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX. Jason and his band returned to both festivals as a main stage act in 2007. Previously, he won the 2005 Songwriting Contest at the Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival in NH and was a finalist in the prestigious 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Competition. Other highlights include Jason's song "Pickup Truck" airing on NPR's "Car Talk” Program and a national appearance on The Food Network’s "FoodNation with Bobby Flay." Jason also won "Best Singer/Songwriter" in the Portland Phoenix's annual "Best Music Poll 2003."
Jason's writing style continues to emerge as a crucial strength that sets this Portland, Maine-based artist apart from the fray of young songwriters populating the New England music scene. Admittedly far from content with the majority of songs dominating today's radio charts, Jason hovers in a unique space between the literal and the psychological. As a writer, he often provides enough detail to ignite the listener's imagination while enabling them to deliver some personal experience to the equation. In a recent interview, Jason described the songwriting process saying,
"I've written a handful of 'story' songs which can be interesting way to communicate but I definitely think the vast majority of the tunes I end up with tend to be broad-strokes vs. very literal accounts or thematic "songwritery" songs. I try and keep the concept of poetry in mind regardless...some poems are powerful in their starkness and others are powerful in the breathing room that reader has to process a series of words."
He later goes on to add...
“With songwriting, I view it as a spectrum between the stark and the broad-stroke as well. A writer like Johnny Cash for instance; there's really no time or need for songwriting devices, cleverness or trickery there. It is what is it. The poetry and the power is in the honesty and the starkness of it. On the other end of the spectrum, I think of bands like R.E.M. and Radiohead or songwriters like Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen. The lyrical approach is such a contrast to the literal stuff. Things are far more shrouded and murky but tastefully so. In these cases, I enjoy the mystery of the listening experience because I can inject some personal experience into the process. So when I write, I think I present a framework but I try not to hit listeners over the head. I generally don't enjoy songwriting where the metaphor is overwhelming or where the you can see the puppet-master's strings everywhere. It's almost like watching Soap Opera acting.”
Whether you’re a fan of great songwriting or power-house live performance, Jason Spooner is an emerging songwriter to watch closely.
