Don’t Let Your Love Life Get You Down by Jaye Jayle

This isn’t something I find myself saying very often, but this one almost scratches the Swans itch. That being said, Don’t Let Your Love Life Get You Down by Jaye Jayle definitely falls short of being derivative; it sounds more like these two bands reached similar conclusions from different source material. For Jaye Jayle, the classic blues sound contains within it this vastness which only properly comes into focus with a high production value, sludgy tempos, and a wide array of processing effects. Using these methods to augment the blues’ tendency for repetitious, spoken-ish vocals and off-kilter guitar work, you arrive at something similar to the post-hiatus Swans sound. Seeing convergence like this enhances the message of both bands, showing that their distinct sounds represent some deeper emotional state that multiple artists can tap into without fully exhausting. Even if you’re not particularly in a Swans mood, this album is worth a listen in its own right, especially if you consider yourself a fan of the blues.

-Michael