The Canadian artist Red Jacket just hit my radar recently with his new album “Perfect Timing. The album has this loose and honest way of moving from track to track without trying to impress anybody. A lot of rock albums lately sound cleaned up until they barely have any character left, but this one keeps the rough edges in place. That ended up being my favorite part of it.
The mix of rock and synth work is easy to sink into. Some songs are warmer and softer while others hit with more weight, but the record never loses its identity. The melodies stayed in my head longer than I expected, especially during the softer moments where Dylan’s voice carries almost everything by itself. That voice is really the reason this album works so well. He knows when to hold back and when to let things open up a little more.
His writing is honest. The themes around heartbreak and loneliness. It sounds like someone sorting things out in real time. Dylan records and plays all these instruments himself at only 17, which honestly surprised me a bit too. This album is personal in a way that’s getting harder to find lately. I’ll definitely be keeping Red Jacket on my radar these next few months.
