Jadis - Across the Water (Giant Electric Pea GEPCD 1009, 1994, CD)
If this band sounds familiar to you, it's probably because Jadis are
usually touted as the alter-ego of IQ. With half of Jadis also members of
IQ concurrently (Martin Orford, keys; John Jowitt, bass), this comparison is
certainly valid, but it is worth noting that Jadis strive to represent
things more bright and positive, where IQ are more driven by bitterness and
anger. Across the Water is the second major album release from
Jadis, and in many regards it is a cut above their previous effort. The
most obvious difference is the level of musicianship here.
Guitarist/vocalist Gary Chandler (when the writing allows him to stretch out
on the guitar) is masterful at stating and phasing a lead line, and the
drummer Stephen Christey has found better, more exciting ways to support him
on the kit, with an overall approach that is more busy and more solid. Along
these same lines, Jowitt adds a lot of punctuality to the bottom end with
some inspired bass work. His bass tones are unusually warm and rich, and
they never get buried in the mix. Jowitt is probably the best bassist on
the neo-prog scene in recent years, and fans of this style of music will
find his playing to be comparable to, say, Tony Levin or Geddy Lee.
Where the miserable vocals marred the first album drastically, Chandler
shows a bit of practice has expanded his still limited abilities
considerably. He still shows no imagination with his vocal melodies (which
is a big disappointment, since he can do it on the guitar) and his range is
puny at best. As with IQ, Martin Orford's keyboard work adds the signature
sound to the ensemble. It's his chord voicings and unpredictable changes
that make him so unique, and notwithstanding all the Tony Banks influence in
his playing, he still does it well, and that's the bottom line no matter the
style of prog you play. The writing is both better and worse with this
album -- songs like 'Touch' and 'The World On Your Side' are full of
intelligent gems, but others like 'Everywhere I Turn' and 'In Isolation' are
virtually all pop-based, and not even good pop at that. Moments like these
harken back to the late '80's IQ sound, which is better left behind.
The production/mixing/packaging are all extremely well-done and
professional, which helps to make Across the Water a step in the
right direction for Jadis. Above average neo-prog, but probably won't be as
well-received as the latest IQ effort, and deservedly so.
(Originally published in Exposé #4, p. 18, Edited for Gnosis 4/15/01)
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