With a release date set for September 6th, Jared McCloud has a brand new album, “Vacancy.”
Here is a little background from the press pack pre-review.
Starting his musical career in “hard rock/metal” bands, Jared honed his notable guitar ability, quickly setting himself apart from other acts.
Eventually, he decided to focus more on the substance than the flash and went solo. He released a self-produced record while playing wherever he could to promote it. Honing his craft in small venues and coffee houses alike, McCloud grew his fanbase the old-fashioned way and eventually wowed large music halls with his live performances.
This dedication led to national success in the form of indie record deals and artist endorsements, as well as higher-profile shows and tours with such artists as Soul Asylum, Zach Myers of Shinedown, Candlebox, Ingram Hill, Vertical Horizon, and many others. McCloud’s last effort, “To Live and Die in Your Arms,” saw chart success, debuting on the iTunes Top 200 Singer/Songwriter chart at #192 and eventually climbing to #46.
Following the success of that album, Jared became a father and dedicated himself to his family. Still touring sporadically, McCloud even created his own festival in his adopted hometown of Portland, ME. Jared McCloud’s “Three Sheets to the Wind” saw national acts handpicked by Jared for intimate performances and exclusive fan interactions that ran for two successful and sold-out years.
Recently, Jared completed a brand new record after taking an extended hiatus from recording. “Vacancy,” produced by Kevin Bowe (The Replacements, Etta James), finds McCloud older, wiser, and at the top of his songwriting game.
My Review:
“Kind of Love That Will Tear You Apart” opens on a big pounding drum sound, which is refreshing. We then move to a smooth commercial rock sound that takes me back to the open road and the radio playing on sunny days of youth. As an opener, this is very radio-friendly, with a great chorus and some fist-pumping rhythm.
That opener set the scene, and I have just been joined by my cat, who is insisting on sitting right on my chest as I do this. Comfortable for him, but not conducive to typing!
“The Score” moves me into Bon Jovi territory. It plays with a southern-style melody and takes us on a journey through the hills and memories. It may be singing about one more broken heart, but it is entirely uplifting as a slice of proficient AOR.
“Tramp Like Me” is a little slower and reflective lyrically. However, there is a nice, uplifting chorus section and the rhythm section here delivers a pleasing backing melody. It’s a relationship song with a bit of a country influence in the mix; maybe there is a need for cowboy boots to perform this!
“Oneirophobia:” I liked this one. It has this haunting guitar introduction before breaking into the drum and rhythm accompaniment. The chorus notes that the singer is still wide awake, and this interesting song title (a fear of dreams) leads into a song that has a fine melody and is a strong example of the songwriter’s craft.
“Mama:” As the title may suggest, this is a track written to reflect on “Mama.” Sometimes we don’t quite meet what our moms want for us, but they are always our champions! I liked the heavy drum section that comes in mid-section. The drums are hard and heavy and have a military feel to them. “Crooked friends” are a theme here. This track would have an adult-language sticker on it; the track is harder and heavier than most of the album.
“Hello, My Name Is Standing Joke” retains a mainstream rock feel. The rhythm has a nice feel and the guitar breaks work, but I feel it is one of those songs that fits into the album but won’t have a longer reach.
“To See Tomorrow’ changes the sound a bit. I liked the slightly roughed-up vocals here and the song picks up some speed on route. It’s a song in a hurry! Again, the drums make a great impression, with plenty of passion and rhythm.
“Vacancy Blues” is a slow and melancholic number; it is a bluesy-feeling song. Slotting in after the previous number, this one allows for some extra instrumentals to shine, it’s a gentle blues ballad.
“Landscape” has a whimsical feel in the lyrics, and it has a very powerful vocal performance. It has a great build-up of instrumentalization and a bit of na-na-na sing-along in a chorus that is entirely enjoyable; it would go down great live, I’m sure.
“Good Enough” returns us to some old-fashioned guitar sounds. It has a bit of a southern groove in that guitar and the vocals have a type of heavy folk within them. It is storytelling on the guitar.
“Stars and Hearts” completes the album on a high note. We return to a blaster, a poppy rock number with some terrific guitar. A hugely enjoyable number that would get everyone jumping played live.
With this album, Jared McCloud is back, slicing the lemon of success—it cuts the mustard for sure! With songs like these, there has to be commercial radio interest; here in the UK, many of these are straight for Radio 2 playlists. It reminded me of an album that would be perfect to play on the open road. Jared is a talented songwriter and singer and I very much enjoyed listening to the album.
Standout tracks: “Kind of Love That Will Tear You Apart,” “The Score,” and “Landscape.”
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By Stevie Ritson
Album Credits:
Jared McCloud: guitars, vocals, mandolin, and percussion
Kevin Bowe: Bass, Guitars, Percussion, Melodica, Backing Vocals
Ian Prince, Drums
Noah Levy – Drums (tracks 6–8)
Tommy Barbella, Piano, Organ (tracks 1, 8).
Scottie Miller, Piano
Ciara Hill: Fiddle (tracks 2, 4)
Greg Byers, Strings
Rich Manik, saxophone
Pat Lacy, backing vocals
Tim O’Reagan, backing vocals
Calie Soucy-McCloud: Backing Vocals
Piper and Hendrix McCloud: Backing Vocals
You can stream music by Jared here