NEW RELEASE: Paul Jacks' Full Length LP "Amphibious" Coming Out 03/03/2023!!!

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PAUL JACKS

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. 

Unlike Black Jackal, for which all the individual songs were completed before Jacks ever stepped into the studio, several songs for Amphibiouswere not. He was encouraged by Newport to write into form, i.e., he wrote, rewrote, and improved songs during the actual process of recording. “It was risky,” Jacks admits. “Because in the end you don’t necessarily have time to go, ‘Okay, I’m not happy with this one, let’s try and and put a new one in.’” 

Among the songs created during this process was the single “Amphibious” itself, which Jacks originally began writing on guitar.  Jacks ventured back to his original instrument to complete it on the piano, acquiring more depth of sound and feeling. It also connected to themes of adaptation and rebirth that Jacks had been exploring, and ultimately became the centerpiece of the album’s nine tracks. 

With Newport taking over heavy-lifting duties as producer, Jacks focused on writing and the results reflect his expansive, eclectic tastes. “If I Were a Better Man,” for example, captures the sad, dark remains of a failed relationship left behind only by “captions” which leave you alone and defeated.  By contrast, “My Love Has to Ask” is a deliberate, affectionate effort to make a Motown-like pop song, not only with its long, “Love”-centered title, but with a bassline groove provided by producer Newport himself. 

On “Left in Haste,” Jacks creates organic space within the song, resulting in “a kind of free-flowing stream of consciousness” in which the chorus and verse are virtually indiscernible. “Walk on Five” incorporates numerology, using five as the number of power, strength, spiritual growth, humanity, and imagination. 

Production on Amphibious lasted from mid-June to mid-July 2022; in addition to Newport on bass, the Amphibious team included Jason Searle and Leo Abrahams on additional guitars; Dylan Mandel on drums; and Alexis Mahler on strings. Jacks’ and Newport’s exacting work extended to vocals, leading to a soft and lulling approach which suggests what might have happened if Phil Spector had had the chance to work with Joy Division. 

“When you finish up a project, there’s this empty void that is kind of sad,” says Jacks about completing Amphibious. “I really didn’t want it to end.” Moving forward, Jacks anticipates working with producers on more album projects. Amphibious will be available on all streaming platforms, as well as in a limited edition special vinyl which will be able to be purchased at the Tritone store: www.tritonerecords.net later on in 2023.

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BLACK JACKAL ALBUM REVIEWS

Indie Band Guru

Indie Band Guru

Indie Band Guru

"Rather than trying to be daringly futuristic with untried themes that  could crash and burn if timed against a volatile culture like that of  2020, Jacks is digging into the history of alternative rock to find  inspiration in the corners of synth pop and new wave artistry many have  long abandoned in recent times – only he’s adding a twist."

READ FULL REVIEW

Vents Magazine

Indie Band Guru

Indie Band Guru

"Contradictions are always inviting in this genre, but duality is  something that turns the deepest of underground players into icons  virtually overnight."

READ FULL REVIEW

THE JW VIBE

Indie Band Guru

Music Existence

"With the release of his explosive, retro-synthy, sonically intricate and vocally hypnotic  apocalypse/aftermath concept album Black Jackal, Anchorage based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Jacks is quickly becoming the indie pop world’s most engaging purveyor of the classic A-side/B-side aesthetic that was once the norm in the rock era."  

READ FULL REVIEW

Music Existence

Too Much Love Magazine

Music Existence

"Black Jackal is  a very stimulating listen even after it’s been put on the stereo a  couple of times through, and I don’t believe you’re likely to find  another album of its kind in 2020. In short, if you weren’t watching  this artist before his new LP, you will be very soon."

READ FULL REVIEW

Too Much Love Magazine

Too Much Love Magazine

Too Much Love Magazine

"In a year that has celebrated anxiety and stress like few others in  recent memory, the ultra-surreal tendencies of an LP lie this one come  to audiophiles as soul food for the tired mind – an exodus away from the  conventionality of mundane melodic pop..." 

READ FULL REVIEW

ESSENTIALLY POP

Too Much Love Magazine

Too Much Love Magazine

" ‘Black Jackal’, keeping to Jacks’ style, harks back to the 80s, and the  laid back rock style favoured by the likes of Joy Division / New Order,  Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, Yazoo, and Interpol."

READ FULL REVIEW

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

"... the term alternative music still means something in 2020, but it's only because of the independent element represented so breathtakingly well by records like this one." 

READ FULL REVIEW

COME HERE FLOYD

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

"Deep in thought for and through his art, Paul Jacks utilizes his  influences of literature , he focuses passions for writers by J.G  Ballard, Ray Bradbury, and Philip K. Dick, to dig deep into the  possibilities of philosophy, psychology, mythology, and alchemy"  

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ANCHORAGE PRESS

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

ANCHORAGE PRESS

“Black Jackal isn’t the kind of album that you put on in the background  while you work. It demands your attention and requires the kind of deep  listening that rarely happens anymore."

READ FULL REVIEW

MEDIUM.COM

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

ANCHORAGE PRESS

"...he’s an alternative legend in the making, much like his heroes before  him, and in adapting historical sonic virtues to meet the needs of a millennial audience, he secures a permanent place in my heart as a critic and music fan."

READ FULL REVIEW

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

"The backdrop for the album is an apocalyptic world and its aftermath. That dark, dire feel is apparent on “Black Jackal.” 

READ FULL REVIEW

NEW NOISE MAGAZINE

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

“The Hunger, is a smooth and eerie track that takes us right onto the  dance floor as Jacks sings “I feel the hunger tonight / Got my blood to a  boil / Will you cure me somehow?/ Before I imitate”  

READ FULL REVIEW

SINGLES REVIEWS

THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP

THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP

THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP

"Jacks has an uncanny ability to use just the right synth sounds and melodies  to get such a perfectly genuine 80's aesthetic that it gives you the warm and fuzees." 

READ FULL REVIEW

LAST DAY DEAF

THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP

THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP

"A synth-pop/synthwave gem by Paul jacks… Back to the 80s! "

READ FULL REVIEW

ESSENTIALLY POP

THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP

ESSENTIALLY POP

"Jacks channels the best of the 80s British invasion on ‘Foolish Pride’ (he even mentions 1981 in the lyrics), as he takes a step out of himself, making a very personal and quite introspective observation on  the pitfalls of Pride."

READ FULL REVIEW

POPMUSIK

AUSTIN TOWN HALL

ESSENTIALLY POP

"Låten fick mig att tänka på Johnny Marr och Bernard Sumners projekt Electronic, vilket såklart är en bra sak. Eller vad säger du?" 

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THE FIRE NOTE

AUSTIN TOWN HALL

AUSTIN TOWN HALL

"Right from the opening beat, “All The Rage” has a distinct vibe that is a mix of classic New Order rhythms with a Morrissey like croon and sway from Paul Jacks. This 80’s jolt will bring back the days when OMD, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys were radio staples while the song itself is a socially conscious challenge of all the anger and  violence in the world." 

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AUSTIN TOWN HALL

AUSTIN TOWN HALL

AUSTIN TOWN HALL

“Shy Boy is Disco Pop and while there is Beatles-formed-in-the-70s  flowing from a lo-fi synth foundation, I get a bit of early OMD from it.  Rising and falling into and out of majors an minors, the song has a  shimmy born in a brightly colored room, but an underlying longing." 

READ FULL REVIEW

EAR BUDDY

EAR BUDDY

EAR BUDDY

"...synth-master Paul Jacks is bringing us six dynamic new songs as three A/B sided singles, each with its own distinctive artwork." 

READ FULL REVIEW

IN OTHER WORDS ALBUM REVIEWS

Vents Magazine

Too Much Love Magazine

Vents Magazine

"...Paul Jacks is taking a completely different approach to this album  and producing something that is monolithic, melodic, and most of all,  mightily addictive even after a only a single spin."

READ FULL REVIEW

THE JW VIBE

Too Much Love Magazine

Vents Magazine

"I loved the overall vibrancy, the bright grooves, atmospheric melodies and soaring production values." 

READ FULL REVIEW

Too Much Love Magazine

Too Much Love Magazine

Too Much Love Magazine

"Beneath the cosmetically gorgeous surface, In Other Words is a  sterling songbook of effervescence and experimentation, and it’s easily  one of my favorite albums hitting record stores this month." 

READ FULL REVIEW

ESSENTIALLY POP

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

Too Much Love Magazine

"Too Emotional is one of those multi-layered songs that causes you to  pause and analyse it; to decipher the distinct layers, and to think  about where you’ve heard it before. It’s at once new and familiar at the  same time: it’s retro and modern; upbeat and yet covering deep subject matter."

READ FULL REVIEW

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

"... on Paul Jacks' In Other Words-it is a musically effervescent release to my ears that contains new rewards with each new hearing."

READ FULL REVIEW

MEDIUM.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

GASHOUSE RADIO.COM

"Gorgeously wrought, In Other Words delivers contagious energy and alluring blends of nu-wave colors, along with Paul Jacks’ alluring voice." 

READ FULL REVIEW

INDIE SHARK

INDIE PULSE MAGAZINE

INDIE PULSE MAGAZINE

"I was only recently introduced to the music of Paul Jacks, but I’m already head over heels for what he’s doing in this latest release. Defractor, his first album, had all the trappings of a perfect debut, and the  blueprint that its tracklist set forth is definitely expanded upon in this record" 

READ FULL REVIEW

INDIE PULSE MAGAZINE

INDIE PULSE MAGAZINE

INDIE PULSE MAGAZINE

"The ten songs comprising the album wrestle with intense emotions and subject matter but the light Jacks spies at the end of the song cycle is not an oncoming train but, instead, a better tomorrow." 

READ FULL REVIEW

MOBANGELES.COM

INDIE PULSE MAGAZINE

MOBANGELES.COM

"He’s got an organic talent that comes on overwhelmingly strong in pretty much every track here, and it’s something that I would love to hear more of in another release. I’ll be keeping an eye on his progress in the next few years, and once you’ve listened to In Other Words this August, I think you’ll want to as well." 

READ FULL REVIEW

SPILL MAGAZINE

SPILL MAGAZINE

MOBANGELES.COM

"Talk about a quick turnaround! A mere six months after the release of his Defractor LP, Alaska’s Paul Jacks announces In Other Words for an August release, again on the Tritone Records label." 

READ FULL REVIEW

DRAMA CLUB EP REVIEWS

SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE

"Inspired by the 1993 film of the same name, “Fire in the Sky” features shimmering synths that sound straight out of season 1 of Stranger Things.   Much like the movie, the track deals with a loss of innocents; Jacks  sings “I was just a boy/too young to be sure how much of me died that  night” over the mid-tempo rock groove."   

READ FULL REVIEW

DEFRACTOR ALBUM REVIEWS

Music Existence

Music Existence

Music Existence

"Golden synthesized melodies meet gritty and provocatively stylized lyricism in Paul Jacks’ debut solo album Defractor, which hits..."

READ FULL REVIEW

Vents Magazine

Music Existence

Music Existence

" Sizzling strands of synthesized melody greet us in “Laid to Rest,” the opening song in Paul Jacks’ new album Defractor..."

READ FULL REVIEW

Indie Band Guru

Music Existence

Indie Band Guru

" Fusing 80s Goth indulgences with bright melodies and contemporary pop song structures, Paul Jacks invokes a..."

READ FULL REVIEW

Indie Shark

Indie Pulse Magazine

Indie Pulse Magazine

"...Brilliantly produced and slickly arranged for fans of both mainstream and underground pop/rock..."

READ FULL REVIEW

Indie Pulse Magazine

Indie Pulse Magazine

Indie Pulse Magazine

"...A dexterous, spidery rhythm wallops us with muscular, bass-heavy swing that is derived purely from old school..."

READ FULL REVIEW

INFRARED MAGAZINE

INFRARED MAGAZINE

INFRARED MAGAZINE

"...and his vivid imagery delivers the listener directly into his dark world themes." 

READ FULL REVIEW

THE JW VIBE

INFRARED MAGAZINE

INFRARED MAGAZINE

"From start to finish, it’s a delightfully, synth and electronic beat  swirling mindbender of a trip back to the spirited, seemingly simpler  times when Gary Numan, OMD, Joy Division, Tears for Fears and Nile  Rodgers era Bowie held court on the pop charts." 

READ FULL REVIEW

THE HUNGER MUSIC VIDEO REVIEWS

NEW NOISE MAGAZINE

"Jacks takes heavy influence from 80’s new wave and goth, along with his personal struggles to craft the album." 

FULL REVIEW

YOU'RE GONNA LEARN TO LOVE SOMEDAY MUSIC VIDEO REVIEWS

BACKSEAT MAFIA

"There’s a hope and a melancholy in the song,  as Jack’s baritone casts  emotion around as he steers it along, the melodies memorable but almost  weary, wary of the emotion that surrounds it."  

FULL REVIEW

LIGHTNING LOBOTOMY VIDEO REVIEWS

DIRECTORS NOTES:

THE SOUTHERN SOUNDING:

THE SOUTHERN SOUNDING:

 " Paul Jacks embarks on a perilous journey to make his way back home in..." 

FULL REVIEW

THE SOUTHERN SOUNDING:

THE SOUTHERN SOUNDING:

THE SOUTHERN SOUNDING:

"...Equally fascinating and affecting, this pairing of sight and sound..."

FULL REVIEW

THRIVE GLOBAL:

THE SOUTHERN SOUNDING:

THRIVE GLOBAL:

 "  Swirls of spilling colors radiate from the synths, as Jacks’ dreamy   ..." 

FULL REVIEW

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