Jimmy Jax Pinchak – Make It Better
Jimmy Jax Pinchak Band – Make It Better – Album Review
Now here’s an impressive backstory!
It seems that good ol’ JJP has not only found an ability to entertain through his music, but also through the Hollywood screens. To name a few of the movies you’ve surely already SEEN with him in it could include The Polar Express with Tom Hanks, Hostage with Bruce Willis, or most recently, Ender’s Game with Harrison Ford. Not moving away from the screen, but branching out his stellar résumé by taking a turn in the musical department – I already get the sense that Jimmy Jax really appreciates the ride his career is on, heading towards it full-on with an attitude ready and built to outwork us all.
Ohhhhh….. yeah. Hahaha. Sorry. I almost forgot to mention this little tid-bitty piece of info…but umm… Did I mention he just turned EIGHTEEN earlier this year?
His old shoes have already accomplished more than I have ever, or might ever, in LIFE!
A long time ago…rocking a beard I probably shouldn’t have been proud of but at least free from grey-hairs, I remember hearing that a young blues rock artist was defying expectations at an extremely young age. Even though I was bearded, I was still young myself…seventeen to be exact…and that young prodigy was only sixteen years old, his name was Jonny Lang. Listening to the opening track of Jimmy J’s album, “There Is More” brought me back to that moment…that sense of wonder and…”How in the all-hell do these people have ALL this TALENT?” kind of feelings. Maybe he was born lucky, or genetically-gifted somehow… but I still get the sense from the style of his music and his approach to it all that he really is loving every moment.
Anyone that doubts this can go have a listen to the cover of “Soul Sacrifice,” the classic Woodstock-famous epic song from Carlos Santana. I mean…if this isn’t someone enjoying himself thoroughly, I don’t know what is. Jimmy’s guitar playing and abilities are all there – you can hear easily that he’s a practiced and dedicated musician, presumably just as dedicated as he is to his cinematic craft. Mind blowing really, as the album continues finishes on another cover and personal favorite song, “Draggin The Line,” the talent and tightness of his classic style is perfect for this track. Tough competition on that one there for me personally – I loved the original by Tommy James & The Shondells and of course I loved it even more when my personal heroes R.E.M. covered it. All that being said – this new version of the classic, timeless song from Jimmy absolutely holds up just as strongly as these other two. And that’s a great confirmation of Jimmy’s own songwriting and dedication to his musical craft; the inclusion of “Draggin The Line” shows that he can also hear great songwriting in the history of his genre, in addition to writing his own new powerful tunes.
Blues-rock, as a genre has always been one of the toughest for me to dive deeply into, though of course, I’ve certainly spent my time in the genre. But even as that seventeen-year-old patchily-bearded kid, my interest in Jonny Lang ran thin quickly, but that intro led me into some amazing future musical experiences. The step was necessary and the respect for the genre never departed. But truly, as any genre could literally resonate with any of us for any reason on a personal level…as long as it’s not actively trying to put me to sleep – I’m still game to listen any time.
You couldn’t possibly sleep listening to the energy coming off this disc from Jimmy. The solos and freak-outs on “On The Run” are the recipe for success in this style of music, if you were to ask this outsider of the genre. C’mon – that’s ENTERTAINMENT right there! You can only imagine the show this guy must be able to pull off as well too eh? What a combo…lead singer, guitarist, actor…someone call security cause there’s gonna be a pile of girlies lined up front to see this kid turn into a man through music right there on stage. Fortunately for Jimmy, he’ll have the age-range of a lifetime to choose from out there in the crowd, as the timeless style of music he plays will attract them all from kitten to cougar.
“Into The Fire” was another standout to me. It’s an interesting track for a number of reasons. I really like the vocal flow that Jimmy has picked out for sure…but there’s almost something subdued about this track…almost like it takes itself a moment to decide if it’s going to be a rock, country, pop or perhaps even gospel-style track. And WHY I find that interesting, is that element of shyness in the approach to which direction or style to go with is also every bit the indication that songs Jimmy are writing are largely universal and could appeal to all kinds of groups and people in large masses.
Don’t let the pretty Hollywood face fool you – Jimmy’s here to rock and there’s a ton of talent here.
Find out more about Jimmy Jax Pinchak and his new album, Make It Better at his official page: http://jimmyjaxpinchak.com/
Join the thousands of bands & artists reviewed by sleepingbagstudios by clicking here!
