Them Jones: The Dark

Philadelphia neo-psych band Them Jones made a pessimistic concept album, The Dark, quite the opposite of their previous effort, the mostly upbeat The Saturn Cinema. The pandemic is never named as such, but looms large. The social distancing has made a lot of people feeling lost and alone and they have bottled these emotions in luscious arrangements. Guest singer Lauren Kimball weighs in with crystal clear vocals, giving the songs a late Sixties West Coast pop vibe.

The Dark is their most cohesive album to date. The twin guitars sound can hold their own against such classics as Love's Forever Changes and Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation. Shuffling drums (A Man to Be Envied), lazy delta blues (The Black Cloud Come On), backmasking (The Dark) - Them Jones know their music history and techniques inside out and they have the knack to make it sound fresh and timeless.

Them Jones:
Frank Tobin: rhythm guitar, vocals
Dan Leyden: drums
Brian Dlugosz: bass
Jim Leyden: guitar, vocals, production
Lauren Kimball: vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8)
Erin Washburn: vocals (6)
Meghan Woodard: English horn (7)
Lauren Kimball: French horn (8)

The Dark is a self-released album. Buy it from their website.

Tracks:

1. Here Comes The Dark
2. Isolani
3. A Fly By Night
4. Lonesome Man
5. A Man to Be Envied
6. The Black Cloud Come On
7. No Passing Through
8. A Shadowy Figure
9. The Dark

» Them Jones on Facebook

HCTF review of The Saturn Cinema.