Hello Reader,
Welcome back. How are you?
Today, we’re going to delve into Yves Jarvis. Yves Jarvis is the moniker of the one-of-a-kind, creative mind of Montreal-based musician, singer, songwriter, and producer Jean-Sébastian Yves Audet. His music has been described as everything from experimental to psych-folk to neo-soul to indie rock and many other genres in between, as Audet incorporates R&B, folk, country, blues, Americana, and even contemporary and futuristic sounds and beats as Audet is a music junkee, a fan of numerous artists and musicians from a wide range of genres and decades. And when you take the chance to listen to Audet’s music, I know you’ll appreciate his mind and find at least a few new songs to love.
Yves Jarvis is the second stage name that Audet has used after his involvement as a teenager in the project Faux Fur and their self-titled debut Faux Fur (2013). Soon after, Audet released his first solo EP under the Un Blonde moniker, Un Blonde EP (2013). That began an incredible stretch of releases starting with his first solo full-length album, Tenet (2014), followed by Habit Anything EP (2014), Part Of Us Both EP (2015), Water the Next Day (2015), and Good Will Come to You (2016). The latter making it to the longlist (top 40 albums) of the 2016 the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for Canada’s top album that year.
In 2018, Audet changed his stage name from Un Blonde to Yves Jarvis as Yves is his middle name and Jarvis is his mother’s maiden name. Yves Jarvis’s first album, The Same But By Different Means (2019), was again longlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. 2020 saw the release of Sundry Rock Song Stock which also made its way to a longlist nomination for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize and garnered critical acclaim. Two years later, saw the release of a new album, The Zug. Audet is also known for his project with Romy Lightman, entitled the Lightman Jarvis Escatic Band. Their debut was the album Banned (2021). So there’s plenty to listen to and delve into within his discography.
On Friday, February 28th, a new Yves Jarvis album, All Cylinders, will be released via In Real Life Music and Next Door Records for your listening pleasure. In the album’s press release, Audet talks about how the album was formed: “I basically only listened to Frank Sinatra for a year. I wanted Sinatra’s clarity—the way the songs exist without him, as real things. And he’s the interpreter— this time I just made a ton of songs. I had tunes stuck in my head. I had choruses. I had actual parts. Instead of making a world, I thought: ‘I’m a band. The drums are there to keep the beat.'”
Audet further elaborated on the process behind making this album, noting, “..no pretense, no self-indulgence, music for the sake of music. I feel like this is the least contrived thing I’ve ever done. If something’s true to you, it’s probably true to a million other people.”
Audet offers some final thoughts, “It’s not about trying to tell my story, fit in, or achieve any goal. It’s about trying to express something I’ve learned; some information I’ve received. Thank God, I’m me, it would suck to be anybody else.”
Giving credit where it’s due. All Cylinders album credits:
- All songs written, produced, and performed by Yves Jarvis
- Mixed by Mark Lawson and Jean-Sebastien Yves Audet at Mt. Ineffable Studio, Montreal, Quebec
- Mastered by Ryan Morey at Ryan Morey Mastering, Wakefield, Quebec
And now for some hype for both your ears and eyes via excellent music videos from Jarvis’ YouTube channel:
The beautiful, golden hued video for the song “Gold Filigree”:
(All credits and rights to Yves Jarvis)
The model making video visualizer for the titular song, “All Cylinders”:
(All credits and rights to Yves Jarvis)
Listen for the gorgeous choral effect within the video for the song, “The Knife in Me”:
(All credits and rights to Yves Jarvis)
Overall, All Cylinders is a significant step forward in Audet’s skill as a songwriter. The lyrics and vocals take a noteworthy presence as you listen to the songs, from the opener, “With A Grain” to the last words on “Time To Behave”. If you’re familiar with his discography, you’ll notice some new beats and different approaches to song construction on this album, as Audet utilizes a more traditional approach than before while still keeping the creative mind that you love as a fan of Audet’s work. All Cylinders also showcases Audet’s talent as a musician, as he layers a series of instruments and genres within songs, adding to the richness and developing some truly great earworms. Within this album, Audet provides countless examples of being an expert assembler and composition arranger. Audet adds electric guitars that speak to you and drums over funk or R&B when many other artists are not doing so. If you’re a fan of cookie cutter music songs, this album is not going to be your favorite instantly. But over time… There’s plenty to not only bob your head to but also have that informal dance party in your living room as you listen.
“With A Grain” is the opener, and its beautiful melody not only charges forward with its guitar work but is also more mellow at times with other instrumentation and Audet’s vocals. Yet it is also choral and triumphant in the later stage of the song.
The second song, “Gold Filigree” transports you back in time to old-school R&B vibes in the best way. What a gorgeous melody and song in general. I think that listeners will love it from its opening notes and never sway from that opinion. This song may make you fall in love with the album. Audet’s silky smooth vocals, piano notes, and electric guitar work are exquisite here. I hope there’s more to come in the future.
“One Gripe” starts with a quick-paced melody and Audet’s vocal delivery to match the pacing. Compared to the previous song, this song brings a bit more funk to the party. It is followed by “Decision Tree,” which showcases a foot-stomping drumbeat and gives Audet’s vocals even more time to stand out along with the back and forth shredding on guitar to begin the song. The space age sounding whoosh about midway through the song adds an interesting sound to the song amidst some melodic shifting.
The next song, “I’ve Been Mean,” kicks off with a great blues sound. I love it. Audet’s decision to use a mic effect on his vocals early in the song adds a great touch. The guitars crank up, along with some more futuristic whooshing sounds. “I’m Your Boy” follows with more experimental sounds in its melody, one that is more anchored in piano sounds than the previous songs on this album.
“Warp And Woof” is the shortest song on the album, but don’t let the length fool you into thinking it will disappoint. It does not. The funky melody, lyrics, and vocals pack a punch.
“All Cylinders” is the titular song on the album and it’s a gem. It’s an earworm the listening vibing from the start of the song which carries throughout. The synth and organ notes take over in the best ways, as does Audet’s vocals and lyrics.
“The Knife In Me” offers a gorgeous choral effect during the refrain. This song recognizes Audet’s talent in constructing and executing this feat. Audet sings his most passionately, deeply, and with the most heartbreaking emotion so far.
“Patina (Instrumental)” is the shortest movement on the album. It consists of striking a chord, leaving it, and repeating it. The next song, “Luck’s Last Stand,” is anchored by some great acoustic guitar fingerpicking. The vocal delivery is pop at times, becoming a choral refrain at others, and sounding larger than its components. Kudos again.
The first bonus song (included in the Deluxe vinyl and digital versions), “Silver KG,” is an excellent song with some rock but mainly R&B elements. The lyrics seek the titular character.
“Off To Honeymoon” features vocals delivered in a sing-song fashion, with some whimsy—a lot more whimsy than any other song on this album. “Man In His Pomp” has some jangly guitar that sings at times throughout the song, paired with some twang and Audet’s confident lyrics about someone in a satisfied state. “Chalk It Up” takes us back to our roots on keys, but it also incorporates some fantastic banjo and stomps after a melodic shift. “Time To Behave” closes the album. It’s brief but is a great moment to hear vocals and drums.
All Cylinders gets 4 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. Firmly into that upper portion of the territory, somewhere in the 80th-83rd percentile range for all new releases this year. But there’s time for it to move as the year progresses. There’s a lot to like in this one, especially the compositions and Audet’s improved songwriting. The album is definitely worth adding to your collection on the format of your choosing.
All Cylinders Track listing [song length]. Tracks 12-16 are bonus tracks available in the Deluxe vinyl and digital versions.
- With A Grain [3:30]
- Gold Filigree [3:24]
- One Gripe [2:29]
- Decision Tree [2:20]
- I’ve Been Mean [2:39]
- I’m Your Boy [3:19]
- Warp And Woof [1:37]
- All Cylinders [3:28]
- The Knife In Me [2:04]
- Patina (Instrumental) [0:13]
- Luck’s Last Stand [1:12]
- Silver KG [2:18]
- Off To Honeymoon [1:04]
- Man In His Pomp [1:51]
- Chalk It Up [2:02]
- Time To Behave [0:50]
Total runtime: 34:20
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. From start to finish, the listening process with All Cylinders will take just over half an hour once through and just over an hour if you listen twice back to back. 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.
Yves Jarvis’ Linktree tells you where to find his album and follow his socials, including but not limited to Instagram, Bandcamp, and Facebook.
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
