I like Jack Drag...though I know that admitting it could hurt my credibility. After all, Jack Drag released an album on A&M records, a label known for its paucity of indie-rock material. But shortly after the underappreciated Dope Box was released, A&M went through all sorts of reorganizational changes. Jack Drag was dropped and Dope Box became a cut-out bin staple.
Sugar Free Records made their first foray into Jack Dragdom with last year's Junior Communist Club EP, Freedom of Speed; John Dragonetti, the man behind Jack Drag, is half of the JCC, and was responsible for some of that EP's best moments. Dragonetti has a knack for writing lively, unpredictable pop songs, full of fuzzed-out guitar and low-fi beats, and he's back in form on the awkwardly-named Soft Songs LP: Aviating.
"Aviating", the opening (and semi-titular) track, is a mellow, liquid affair reminiscent of latter-day Chills. It is a gentle, dreamy love song that's more than a little mournful, punctuated by subtle strings. "We Could've Been Big" follows, and let's face it -- it's impossible, knowing Jack Drag's recent history, not to interpret the song as a sort of career post-mortem. Rueful lyrics ("We could've been big / it would've been nice / we might have been more popular than Jesus Christ") hint at a bright future thwarted by sheer chance.
"WOW! (dig the no scene)" is a blur of overdriven vocals, assertive strings and jangly guitars -- tasty, but still a bit moody. "Crazy" furthers the psychedelic vibe, creating a complex percussion landscape into which wistful vocals are inserted almost as an afterthought. "At the Symphony" finally gets the pace going, pairing a knife-edge guitar lead with a percolating keyboard rhythm reminiscent of Dragonetti's Junior Communist Club work. The instrumental "An Evening at the Boston Music Awards" seems to toy with the prospect of becoming the Smiths' "How Soon is Now", and "The Only, Only One Parts 1 & 2" closes the album in a moody Syd Barretish vein.
The disc's brief running time (under 30 minutes) and relative lack of cohesion (compared to previous Jack Drag records) may lead the listener to wonder if this is, perhaps, Dragonetti's last gasp as Jack Drag -- an ex-post-facto collection of leftover material. I'd prefer to believe it isn't. It does, however, have that tentative feel of an artist who's been badly stung by the business side of his art -- the musical equivalent of your first time back behind the wheel after a bad car accident.
Lazy listeners apparently pigeonholed Jack Drag as a lower-fi, East Coast version of Beck. That's not the case. Dragonetti's compositions are more detailed and -- while they certainly sport their share of technical trickery -- ultimately less gimmicky. Aviating may not be the ideal vehicle for Jack Drag's reintroduction, but it'll appeal to a more sophisticated listener than A&M ever tried to reach. If you're one of those listeners, I encourage you to give Jack Drag a fair shot. Look for the delicate, endearing details in his compositions. If listeners appreciate and respond well to Aviating, I have a feeling that Dragonetti will follow through with something ten times better.
In other words...John, if you're reading this, don't give up just yet.
