Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Jade Imagine, Milk Records/Remote Control Records 2022.
Melbourne based Jade Imagine are back with a new album.
Cold Memory will be released in October and the title track is the first single.
It’s a swirling, moody track that shifts time signatures.
It begins with a distorted bass heavy insistent rhythm which is augmented with sparse jabs of colour from guitar and keyboards.
The track then undergoes a metamorphosis with a time shift to a melodic, almost middle of the road, chorus before suddenly reverting to the mesmerising opening tempo.
It’s certainly different but also remarkably effective.
Cold Memory is the follow-up album to Basic Love which was released in 2019.
At that time, Jade Imagine were a four piece band however, for their latest release, they’ve been whittled down to a trio.
The album was written and recorded between Melbourne and Warrnambool in Victoria and Fremantle in Western Australia.
Although the core band is now a three piece the band has enlisted the services of a few talented musicians to bring the project to fruition.
Along with main members Jade McInally (vocals, guitar, synth, piano, percussion), and Tim Harvey (guitar, synth, vocals, piano, percussion), they have Madeline Lo-Booth on bass, Marcel Tussie on drums, and Jane Harvey providing additional vocals and occasional synth lines and guitar.
I like what Jade Imagine produce.
They are not afraid to experiment and their singles, EPs, and albums wear their indie label with pride.
Their songs are invariably mesmeric and they often break the linear nature that is the basis of most songs.
The album is available for pre-order now and is due for release October 21 st.
