Search - Jason Webley :: Against the Night

Insane genius

oxtwitchingxo | Onley, Virginia | 07/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jason Webley's music will blow your mind. Either you'll throw the cd out, going "who in the world would make a cd like that?" or you'll love it to death and make all your friends listen to it. (Your friends of course will insist that you be institutionalized.) Webley's music is all over the place. I mean, you've got to love a guy who sings "do you want to screw me, let's go rent a movie." And the music! The accordian becomes this versatile instrument that you're in awe of after you listen to Webley play. The song "Winter" will make the skin on the back of your neck crawl, as will several others, because they speak to the part of you that you refuse to acknowledge. (And the accordian in the background just creeps up behind you.) And then there are the bells. You've never heard a bell toll until you sit there and listen to "Entropy." And Webley's voice! He's got this awesome gravel in his voice, and yet it's amazingly versatile. Eh, just buy the cd already."

Amazing!

Neil Fein | Edison, NJ, United States | 02/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was working the board at a RenFest in NJ this past weekend, and I was told that the final act was some guy named Jason Webley. Before he went on, he came up to ask me a few questions about how he'd hook in to the board, and to let me know what he'd need in the way of microphones, et cetera. He was a nice guy, a little nervous even. Refreshing after 10 hours of dealing with arrogant I'm-the-star musicians.



Prepared to just deal with him as another customer, I was amazed by his opening set. His second set later in the evening was even better. Jason plays guitar and accordian, both well. And his voice is a wonderful, gravelly thing that reaches out and grabs you. His lyrics insist that you listen.



The style of mysic is almost impossible to put in a box. It's not folk, it's not goth, it's not celtic... although all those are there, a bit. There are also bits of spoken word, a bar chorus, and what could be "found" percussion.



I found myself buying one of his CDs, this one. Against the Night is made up of seventeen excellent songs, not a bum on the disc. "2am" is a januty, delightfully discordnant medley; the disturbing "Winter" will stay in your head; "Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" is wonderfully, inappropriately tender; and "Last Song", grabs you and makes you sway along to the beat. All this is followed by a short coda, capping off the album perfectly.



Amazing songs, amazing pacing. I'll be buying more of Jason's albums. And I hope to see him live again, maybe even not behind a mixing board!"