Breathe in deeply. Four counts in, eight counts out. Didn’t that feel nice? That breath of fresh air was Jacco Gardner’s Cabinet of Curiosities. If you’re on spring break, about to be, or just crave the sounds of a warmer time, then this is the album for you.
Cabinet of Curiosities is equal parts mellifluent and whimsical. Many can tell you off the bat that Netherlands native Jacco is a multi-instrumentalist, but that does not even begin to capture the sheer talent that pours out of his fingertips for each track.
Taking cues from The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and other psychedelic bands like The Zombies and The Hollies, Jacco Gardner has created a sound for the summer, dense and all-surrounding as if it were recorded in an echo chamber.
“Clear the Air” is almost unreal in its present-day existence; the harmonies and chorus lock you into a state of familiarity where you’d swear that you’ve heard this song before—that’s how timeless and perfect it is. The record is never, ever in any danger of growing stale. “Watching the Moon” grabs 60’s baroque pop and waltzes with the genre. The title track is a surreal instrumental suite peppered with sounds of water droplets and baby coos. “Cabinet” even sounds like a movie theme, drunk with pattern and color.
A thorough and loving evocation of late 60’s psychedelic pop, folk, and rock, Cabinet of Curiosities is full of discoveries to be made, lush with layered tracks like “Chameleon” and “Lullaby” that build and surprise. Jacco Gardner has accomplished something wonderful here with a finesse that seems beyond his years.
Jacco will join Turbo Fruits at The Earl on March 10th.
8pm
Tickets: $8 (get them here!)
