Hello Reader,
Welcome back to another review from SWT. Hope you’re well.
Today, we’re going to delve into Jack Van Cleaf. He’s an artist originally from California who’s not quite 30 but has already made a big impression on the scene in the past few years. A song of his, “Rattlesnake,” went viral in 2023, gathering praise from fellow breakout artist Noah Kahan, who had Van Cleaf open for him on Kahan’s Stick Season Tour, and Grammy-winning country musician Zach Bryan, who ended up covering “Rattlesnake” exposing Van Cleaf’s music to a larger audience. “Zach started sharing the song on social media, then eventually sent me a DM that said, ‘If you ever want to record a version of this together, I’m in! ‘” said Van Cleaf in a press release for his newest album.
But before this notoriety, Van Cleaf released his debut EP, John IV, in 2016, followed by his full-length debut, Fruit from the Trees (2022), after graduating from Belmont University in Nashville, where he studied songwriting. And today, following that tour comes Van Cleaf’s second album, JVC, his first with Dualtone Records, out Friday, May 9th, for your listening pleasure.
Speaking about JVC in its press release, Van Cleaf said, “This album is all about the vertigo of growing up. It’s about re-defining and re-understanding yourself.” He also said, “I felt like I was staring into an emotional desert when I wrote these songs, experiencing this feeling of desolation around me and looking for little signs of life.”
Giving credit where it’s due. JVCÂ album credits:
- Jack Van Cleaf – acoustic guitars, lead vocals, background vocals, songwriter, producer
- Aaron Krak – drums, tambourine, mellotron, castanets, tambourine, cabasa, shaker
- Austin Burns – bass, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, organ
- Ethan Fortenberry – electric guitar, banjo, baritone guitar, bass, background vocals
- Alberto Sewald – acoustic guitar, producer, mixer, bass, chord organ
- Heaven Schmitt (aka Grumpy) – background vocals
- Charli Adams – vocals
- Annika Bennett – background vocals, songwriter
- Gatlin – lead vocals, background vocals
- Isaiah Beard – bass, electric guitar, piano, banjo, programmed drums, producer, mixer, engineer
- Mario Ramirez – engineer
- Bennett Emery – drums
- Josh Warren – piano, vibraphone, chord organ
- Dave Smoota Smith – trombone
- Paula Henderson – baritone saxophone
- Jordan McLean – trumpet
- Tony Jarvis – tenor saxophone
- James Woodall – pedal steel
- Zach Bryan – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocals, producer
- Maxx Marshall – songwriter
- Aksel Coe – drums
- Eddie Spear – producer, mixer
- Mastered by – Alex McCollough, Brian Lucey
And now for some hype via Jack Van Cleaf’s YouTube channel:
The lyric video for the opening song, “Off to the Races”:
(All credits and rights to Jack Van Cleaf)
The Texas two-step within the video for the song “Using You”:
(All credits and rights to Jack Van Cleaf)
Please have Gatlin create more music with Jack Van Cleaf. You’ll see why in the song, “Teenage Vampire”:
(All credits and rights to Jack Van Cleaf)
The many close-up shots within the video for the phenomenal song, “Smoker”:
(All credits and rights to Jack Van Cleaf)
Overall, JVC is a behemoth of an album. I think it’s an album that grows on you, and you appreciate it more over time as you digest it. It’s damn good to begin with. Within the album, there are significant steps forward in Van Cleaf’s songwriting and composition, which are apparent while listening early on and continue throughout the album. You’re in for a treat with this release. There’s truly a lot to like. The large crew of talented musicians, producers, and sound engineers did an excellent job. Kudos to each involved, who are listed above in the credits. There’s a lot of variation in mood and melodic pacing, but Van Cleaf’s incredible voice is strong throughout. Some of the songs on this album are sparse with acoustic guitars and quieter music that verges on folk, while others are more lively and fuller band-sounding. It’s a good balance and allows both Van Cleaf and the musicians and composers chances to shine. In addition, the background vocals and accompanying melodies are superb.
Kudos to Annika Bennett, Heaven Schmitt (aka Grumpy), Gatlin, Charli Adams, and Zach Bryan for lending their voices, which pair well with Van Cleaf’s. I love the choice made to record the songs live, as Van Cleaf sounds best this way. Which I think you’ll agree with as you listen to yourself. That being said, I am confident that Van Cleaf is probably a fantastic live performer as well. On the album, there is a common thread of adulthood, self-exploration, which is often quite literal and sometimes told with sarcastic wit. The matter-of-factness goes well with Van Cleaf’s vocal tone, delivery, and chosen melodies. He pulls off the more metaphoric and also the more playful lyrics well, too.
JVCÂ gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. It’s a great release and deserving of the lower end of the 4.5 rating range relative to all new 2025 albums. Take a listen for yourself, and you’ll love not only the songwriting but also the grooves. At the end of the year, we’ll see how it stacks up as we do with all releases, but I envision it remaining in this range. Add this album to your collection in the format of your choice. May I suggest vinyl on your turntable?
JVC Track listing [song length]
- Off to the Races [3:50]
- Piñata [3:32]
- Still [3:03]
- Rattlesnake (ft. Zach Bryan) [4:53]
- Using You [3:07]
- Go Home, Danny [3:56]
- Shouldn’t Have Gone To L.A. [4:14]
- Thinkin’ About It [4:21]
- Green [3:15]
- Teenage Vampire (ft. Gatlin) [2:39]
- Smoker [4:08]
- Hikikomori [3:29]
- Couch Potato [4:38]
- Life [4:24]
- Easter Sunday [3:59] vinyl exclusive
- I Had You for a Second [4:21] vinyl exclusive
- Remember Katrina? [3:33]Â vinyl exclusive
Total runtime: 53:33 [65:36 for the vinyl version]
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. The listening process with JVC will take nearly one hour from start to finish. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, I found the songs highlighted in green font above to be my favorite songs on this album.
Like what you heard and want to find out when he’s on tour? Visit Jack Van Cleaf’s site, follow his Instagram and Facebook page, and listen to more music on his Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Spotify pages. A great place to pick up the exclusive vinyl with those three extra tracks is right here.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
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
