Paul Jacks has an intoxicating delivery that scans the universe of bands like My Morning Jacket, Fruit Bats, and Blitzen Trapper. With a hazy electronic-hued musical delivery, the veteran singer-songwriter has continually progressed his sound to that of edgy studio precision.
For almost twenty years Paul Jacks has created a unique and challenging sonic landscape, beginning with his work with indie groups Smile Ease and Asteroid and ascending to the critically-acclaimed solo albums Defractor, In Other Words, and Black Jackal. “I’m constantly on a journey of learning, and trying to create a new sound and explore,” says Jacks, who is always determined to “not get pigeon-holed into one genre.”
This artistic restlessness finds its newest release in Jacks’ fourth studio album, Amphibious, in which he shifts direction from the New Wave vibes of In Other Words and the dystopian world of Black Jackal, and embraces change. “There are themes of survival, adaptation, growth, and awareness throughout the album.”
With Black Jackal behind him, Jacks sought a producer so he could “focus on the lyrics and the themes and the emotions.” Enter Alex Newport, the esteemed British-born, L.A.-based producer-composer who has worked with groups like Death Cab for Cutie, Bloc Party, Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Matt Costa, and The Sounds. Having previously worked together on their 2021 dual single “Foolish Pride,” and B-side “I Would Give Everything”, Jacks and Newport connected with their similar New Wave tastes, and Newport liked the demos which eventually became Amphibious.
Glide is premiering “Brand New Shame” (below) from Jacks, a stirring track that shows Jacks’ aptitude for studio inventiveness.
“It was risky because, in the end, you don’t necessarily have time to go, ‘Okay, I’m not happy with this one, let’s try and put a new one in.’ But it was a wonderful experience completing Amphibious. When you finish up a project, there’s this empty void that is kind of sad. I really didn’t want it to end,” says Jacks about the album.
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