Jaecy Bells Review

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author: ethan butterfield | a&c  editor


We may just have a few copies of the album kicking around / Jaecy Bells

Taking a look at a local R&B EP.

Hey all, how’s it going?! I hope the beginnings of the semester have been treating everyone out there alright. Speaking for myself, I know there’s been a couple of moments where I’ve given some serious thought to whether “it’s all worth it, but again, that’s just me. On a more positive note, I’ve been listening to some music from our former Graphics Editor that I feel is definitely worth talking about. 
Yes, for those whose aren’t sure, Jaecy Bells used to work here at the Carillon before she left (understandably so) to seek out other avenues (can’t blame her one bit). One of those avenues led her to releasing her first EP, which features seven R&Bstyled songs that can be heard on all the usual platforms. After listening to the pieces myself, I feel as though I should do a review on the EP so as to give people an idea for what they can expect. Let’s kick things off, shall we? 
Now, right off the bat, we have one of my favourite songs, which is titled Firing Squad. There is a lot of passion on display here and it feels like the raw energy coming from Bells voice is reaching out of the track itself and making sure that you’re paying attention all the way throughout. I don’t know what it is, whether it’s the beat, or the rhythm, or the lyrics themselves, but Firing Squad will have you engaged all the way to the end. Then, you may play it again just to hear it one more time. 
After the initial track, however, things feel a bit on repeat. Not to sound mean, of course, but the following song, Teenage God, feels like it’s the sequel to Firing Squad, but it’s a sequel that came around a little too soon. I had to double check to make sure that the first song wasn’t an extended piece or something along those lines. Not a bad song, mind you, but it just feels like it could have been better utilized elsewhere on the EP. 
The next piece, Diamonds, is when things get fresh again. Now, I’m not sure about you readers, but sometimes when I’m listening to a song, I’ll get into a headspace where a story begins to form. Like watching a movie in your imagination. Diamonds is a song that almost immediately showed me a film that was based in 1940s New York. The soul and elegancy behind Jaecy’s vocals bring this song to unique places in the most unreal ways. 
Unfortunately, the same passion couldn’t be given to Drive, which is song number four. This’ll probably be the harshest thing I say in this review, but Drive is honestly the most forgettable song on the EP. It just comes and goes without really leaving anything behind, sort of like Daniel Craig as James Bond. You can still listen to it, certainly, just don’t expect too much from it… like Dainel Craig as James Bond. 
Next on the list, Piano, is a return to form for the EP. It’s quite possibly the most emotional song you’ll hear out of the seven; it was for me, but all the songs are emotional in their own special way. In the case of Piano, it just has a sadness that really resonated with me and is more than likely something someone would play during a rainy day. So, it’s sad, but it’s the good kind of sad, you know? All in all though, this is my personal favourite song on the EP because it feels so down to earth. 
Moving along, we get to the second last song, Shade. Again, this is going to sound mean, but it really isn’t meant toShade is another case of second verse, same as the first. Much like Teenage God was an immediate sequel to Firing Squad, Shade feels like the upbeat sequel to Piano, which, in my eyes, actually makes Piano lose some of it’s mojo in the long run. Shade isn’t bad by any means, but it has the unfortunate circumstance of following a piece that was such a powerful emotional drama. 
Last but not least, we have Jericho. I’ll say it outright, this song is a lot of fun. A poppy R&B mix with slick lyrics to match, Jericho will have you tapping your feet along with every beat. This song is worth the wait of the EP.

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