James, who goes by his musical moniker “Gingerjamefair”, started out making music as a teenager, and subsequently, through his many “musical relapses” as he puts it, has had the opportunity to discover and rediscover his sound. On his latest album, “The Hobbyist”, he brings forth an interesting, refreshingly experimental sound— keep reading for my thoughts!
The whole album has this rustic, old-school production flair to it that stands out to you from the get-go; the blending of vocals, and refreshingly charismatic instrumentation come together with folk-like, almost lullaby-like melodic writing to create an experience like few others; and on the first track, “Murmuration”, this stands out brilliantly with the soft, tender vocal layers, the delicately strummed guitars; a theme that continues on throughout the whole album.
There is also much to appreciate about the vocals themselves, with their almost haunting, hypnotic quality that brings seemingly simple lyrical themes into a league of their own— a series of magical moments that possess the potential to reshape how one perceives vocal delivery. “The Hobbyist” is one of those albums that really does make you go back and rethink the perception, the prejudice, and the preconceived about what music really is, and for the better.
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Some other tracks that make the album even more endearing are “Stamp Collector’s Dilemma”, with its wistful, introspective lyrics, with the first-person narrative in the words shining through quite strongly– a potent kindling of emotion, if I may call it that; and “Me Or The Bike”, with its gentle banjo lines in the background that relax you, and soothe your senses as the track proceeds.
Of course, an album with experimentation like this teeters on the edge of confusing if not well-produced and engineered; and here, on The Hobbyist, James does a brilliant job bringing his vision to life using the prowess of the console and sound design. Every sound feels deliberate and well thought-out, and this is marked on songs like “Stuck On Four Down”, “Furries”, and “Games Café”. The mix is refreshingly lo-fi in its approach, radio-like, almost, but that adds to the flair of this album in ways inexplicable than in the highest of appreciation.
All in all, “The Hobbyist”, by Gingerjamesfair: This album brings experimentation and packages it silkenly with soft, singing-friendly pop with instruments familiar to you, but used in ways one would not fathom to be possible. It was a pleasure listening to this album! Check it out here:
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