Initially begun as the solo recording project of its Edmonton-based creative mastermind, founding member, singer/songwriter and guitarist Jessica Jalbert, as a way to avoid and resist being pigeonholed as just a sensitive, singer/songwriter strumming a guitar, Faith Healer project expanded into a duo with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Remmy Wilson, who joined before the recording sessions for Jalbert’s sophomore Faith Healer effort (and first as a duo), Try 😉.
As Jalbert has explained in press notes, the newly constituted duo’s recently released newest effort is a sonic and creative departure for her. “The last album had a lot of flowery ’60s flourishes. This time, we wanted to simplify it and just do some straight-ahead songs. Focus on the song itself rather than all of the production.” And although the material may seem effortless to the listener, the creative process which spawned it were according to Jalbert, rather intensive, as she and her bandmate spent time meticulous crafting the album’s material while focusing on plainspoken lyrics that focused on self-empowerment, depression and appreciating all the good in life; in fact, the album’s title was also deeply inspired by its creative process, and is a reminder that sometimes you need to be proactive and grab life by the horns rather than waiting for inspiration to strike.
Now, as you may recall, “Light of Loving,” Try 😉‘s first single featured a lush melody within an expansive, 60s psych rock-inspired song structure consisting of trippy and unexpected key and tone changes and a soaring hook — and while being relatively stripped down from its predecessor, the song manages to reveal some ambitious, arena rock meets psych rock-inspired songwriting that in some way reminds me of The Mallard‘s Finding Meaning in Deference and The Fire Tapes’ Phantoms. Interestingly, the album’s mellow yet jangling latest single is a subtle expansion of the sound they’ve developed on the album’s earliest single, as it finds them drawing a bit more from easy going, 70s AM rock, complete with a deeply introspective and sultry vibe.
The recently released video further emphasizes the introspective nature of the song, as it features a simple concept, as we follow a brooding Jalbert on the beach, staring at the ocean, drinking wine from the bottle, waiting for something — or someone to happen.
The Edmonton-based duo will be embarking on a tour to support their sophomore effort with a hometown show on February 28, 2018 and it includes a March 25, 2018 stop at Elsewhere. Check out the tour dates below.
Tour Dates:
February 28 – Edmonton, AB – Rec Room
March 1 – Calgary, AB – Broken City
March 3 – Vancouver, BC – The Astoria
March 5 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
March 6 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
March 7 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
March 9 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theatre
March 10 – San Diego – Soda Bar
March 12 – March 18 Austin, TX – SXSW
March 20 – New Orleans, LA – Poor Boys
March 21 – Raleigh, NC – Neptunes
March 23 – Washington, DC – American University
March 24 – Philadelphia, PA – The Soundhole
March 25 – New York, NY – Elsewhere
April 5 – Hamilton, ON – Casbah
April 7 – Indianapolis, IN – Pioneers
April 8 – Cincinnati, OH – MOTR
April 10 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
April 13 – Toronto, ON – Baby G
April 14 – Montreal, QC – Ritz PDB
