Hello,
Welcome to SWT. Today we’re excited to do something for the first time this year! Talk about an upcoming new album in our album preview format. We do plan on doing this format more this year to shed light on good new releases.
First, let’s give some context. For many years, Oklahoma-based band Sports featured brothers Christian and Jacob Theriot, along with childhood friend, long-time collaborator, and third band member Cale Chronister. The trio capitalized on their popular, easy-to-search and remember name and paired it with a plethora of 80s lo-fi pop beats that became multiple successful mid-2010s to early 2020s albums, resulting in a lot of touring that included international stops.
Now, the Philadelphia-based musician, visual artist, and former member of Sports, Jacob Theriot, is on his own with the project Jaco Jaco. This new project features a lot of psych, funk, and 70s dreamy rock, among other sounds. In 2024, Theriot released Jaco Jaco’s debut, Splat. On Friday, March 21st, Jaco Jaco is releasing Gremlin. I listened to two singles a while back, then the entire album, and I liked what I heard, which is why I’m writing this album preview and sharing it with y’all.
Yes, the album’s title is inspired in part by the fantastic 1984 film of the same name (Gremlins), but it is not a concept album solely devoted to mischievous creatures.
Theriot states in the press release of the lead single, “Woman,” that “This record came from a somewhat confused and lonely state of mind. It’s a journey through reflection and longing for something real—an inner dialogue giving me advice on navigating life when it feels like it’s working against you.” He also added about Gremlin: “It’s written in the third person, but really it’s in the first person. It’s a form of therapy. It’s like journaling.”
Gremlin Tracklisting with my favorite songs highlighted in green:
- What’s It Like in the Sunshine (4:29)
- Woman (3:50)
- Favorite Kind Of People (3:04)
- I Won’t Bother (3:20)
- Power (4:33)
- Family Trends (2:34)
- Gremlin World (2:48)
The smooth vibes within the song, “Woman” from Jaco Jaco’s YouTube channel:
(All rights and credits to Jaco Jaco)
The visualizer to the song “Favorite Kind Of People” from Jaco Jaco’s YouTube channel:
(All credits and rights to Jaco Jaco)
And a third song, “I Won’t Bother” from Jaco Jaco’s Bandcamp page:
Gremlin is an album full of silky smooth grooves and funky beats that flow well from song to song. There are many melodies that will catch your ears, as well as a few earworms for a deeper catch. The melodies are well assembled and mix well with some distortion, percussion, and guitars. The lyrics often verge on the abstract with some commonly examined themes: relationships, reflection, introspection, and honesty explored in this collection of eight songs. Listen and you’ll dig it too..
You can follow Jaco Jaco on Instagram, Facebook and listen to his music on his YouTube channel and Spotify page. For even more ways to keep in touch and listen, check out Jaco Jaco’s Linktree page as well.
Happy listening!
Want to add more music to your life? Here’s a quick link to more albums that we previewed last year.
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
