JEREMY GLOFF
PRESS ARCHIVE
Reviews of '21st Century Love Songs'
Released
in 2009
-by J.J. Vicars
-courtesy Amazon.com
Jeremy Gloff has stepped
into his own with 21st CENTURY LOVE SONGS. To call him an indie artist
is like calling Billy Cobham a fusion drummer or Freddie King a Blues
guitarist; true but it falls way short. Each of his previous albums
showcased different phases and influences, with his latest album he's
transcended those influences as if they were all leading up to this
one. Both his writing and performing have reached a new level of
maturity. Gone is the frantic cramming , filling every space possible.
This new album leaves room to breathe, giving more impact. This may his
real debut because it's likely that whatever he does next will grow
from this newfound maturity.
The album opens with JANUARY '09, vaguely reminiscent of John
Mellencamp's MR. HAPPY GO LUCKY with its eerie background voices,
before a trebly bass guitar ushers in ASOCIAL LOVE SONG, setting the
tone for the album. The piano and pounding toms of SQUARE ONE draw the
listener into the world of 21st Century Love Songs, while a keyboard
riff vaguely reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's DANCING IN THE DARK set
to a 16th-note groove brightens the mood slightly on THIS CONDITION.
21st CENTURY LOVE sums up the theme of the album. Several verses detail
the inhumanity of an era lost in digital gadgetry, numb to contact with
other humans and oblivious to the trials of the times, punctuated by
the hook line "Can you feel it/We're so boring". Future generations
will have a heart-on-sleeve time-capsule to experience the beginning of
the 21st Century.
COKE AND ECSTASY restores the lost humanity. A gentle piano-based
ballad with sparse accompaniment comparing a lover to a drug; "the high
comes and goes so fast/And then I go crazy". The late-night 'chill'
vibe is intoxicating. OH SWEET BOY brings the now trademark bass back
to the forefront to drive a laid-back, hypnotic groove. Minimalist
instrumentation is accentuated with guest vocalists and a surprisingly
effective harmonica.
Once again a 16th-note beat picks things up. HEY GIRL highlights the
80's Pop influence but like the rest of this album it's merely one
influence in a larger tapestry. JUNE '09 is the second "short". Two
clean, twangy guitars recalling Chris Issak paint an ethereal picture
that gives way to the masterpiece CLOUDS, the track that embodies the
musical culmination that is 21st CENTURY LOVE SONGS. The main
influences in Gloff's musical stew are 80's Pop, Dance/Electro and
Indie songwriters. His previous albums each showed once side or the
other. On this album, and particularly this song, they have at last
fused seamlessly into a single cohesive musical style that is
distinctly Jeremy Gloff. He calls it Intellectro Indie and that's a
pretty accurate description.
The piano and clean-toned guitars of the intensely personal ONE PHONE
CALL evokes Mellencamp's more adventurous collaborations with outside
producers. The melody's undeniable hook and the lyric's poignant story
of friends who took their own lives and the people they left behind
cuts to the bone. Gloff has often said he hoped his songs would be
soundtracks for other people's moments. ONE PHONE CALL does one better.
The soundtrack feel registers with CHRISTINE. This song should be in a
movie, preferably by an indie director who would have better taste than
the corporate automatons that run Hollywood. BROKEN PIECES is another
ethereal piece that belongs on a movie soundtrack.
The album's sole cover is Jill Jones' SO MUCH IN LOVE. Gloff has been
one of Jill's most ardent supporters for many years and dedicated his
previous album, the 80's Pop tribute 1987, to her. When he played a
show in New York in 2008 the Brooklyn-based Jones joined him onstage to
sing this song as a duet. Someone had the good sense to videotape it
for posterity and the clip has been viewed by many on the Internet. It
seems fitting that he would record one of her songs. Besides a close
friendship, her influence is strongly felt throughout this album. Like
Jill's work on TWO and WASTED the backing vocals are no mere padding of
harmonies but an instrument unto themselves. Jill Jones is one of the
few singers who can pull this off and Jeremy Gloff is the only one to
carry it on. His thoughtful arrangement of her song with soft touches
of flute and violin seems as much for the friend as for the song
itself. It whets the appetite for a collaboration between the two of
them.
FROM AFAR eases the album towards a gentle conclusion in 3/4 time
bringing to mind earlier albums like AMERICA IS LONELY TONIGHT and
NOW'S THE RIGHT TIME TO FEEL GOOD. DECEMBER '09, the last of the
"shorts", brings the album to a close. Fairly close to the opening
"short", but instead of charging the listener up it brings them down
with a gentle afterglow. Once again flute and background voices are
both somber and ethereal.
It is every artist's goal to grow out of their influences. When
starting out heroes and influences reflect different portions of
ourselves and we learn by emulating them, just as babies learns to talk
by emulating their parents and other people around. But if an artist is
to shine they have to go beyond their influences and take the idiom(s)
someplace only they can take it. Jeremy Gloff has made Indie, Electro
and Pop albums before. Each stayed more or less in one mode. For the
first time he has blended all of his influences into a single cohesive
tapestry only he can create. With 21st CENTURY LOVE SONGS he's achieved
one of the most important goals of any artist. He's also matured by
trimming away the exuberant excesses. Lyrics, melodies and instruments
are given space to breathe. They're much more effective as a result.
It's easy to hear this album as a culmination of all his previous
albums, not to mention that it perfectly sums up the historical era
from which it emerged. But more importantly he's made an album that
speaks for itself.
-by Curtis Ross
-courtesy of Tampa
Tribune
So
much for this century. Love is irresistible and happiness is elusive on
Gloff's 16th album. Downbeat rock sets the tone, a turnaround from the
giddy electro-pop of last year's “1987.” For all its
melancholy, “21st Century Love Songs” is one of Gloff's
most satisfying efforts..
-by Carole Giambalvo
-courtesy of St Pete Times
Tampa Bay gay and lesbian community luminary Jeremy Gloff is a sassy advice columnist, lover of cheesy '80s grooves and all-around funnyman. But on 21st Century Love Songs, he's straight-up serious. Ominous sounds abound on Depeche Mode-ish Oh Sweet Boy, in which Gloff tackles depression and suicide. Gloff describes the album as "one that gives a voice to people who are disappointed and skeptical of happy endings, but ultimately hopeful."
-by Steph Freeney
Jeremy Gloff is a one of a kind musician who should not be over looked.
Though an independent musician in his own right, Jeremy Gloff gives
modern day artists a run for their money. Not only does he express so
much love and passion for a lot of his favourite artists in his
charismatic, fun, insightful, emotional and sometimes humourous video
reviews you can find on Amazon.com, he also gives his heart on his
sleeve in the music he produces and records himself.
I've recently recieved this album and have decided to take the time to
reflect on each track as to what I think it may be about (I could be
way off. LOL!) and give my personal take on the album altogether.
Let's start by talking about the intro to the album. The intro to the
album is edgy and simplistic but gives you a good idea of the treat you
are instore for once the tracks start to unfold.
The first official track of the album, "A Social Love Song". This song
to me sounds like it's about someone who is alone but wants to be in
love, however they don't want to send the wrong message. The person
wants to be alone with someone in order to get to know them before
drawing an overall conclusion on what direction the relationship should
go. This song jingles your ear instantly, and you can't help but
picture a romantic film in your head with this song.
"Square One" - reminds me of a love gone sour so now you have to go
back to the beginning and start all over. Instead of having "Mr/Mrs.For
Now" so to speak you want "Mr/Mrs.Right" and in the end you have your
heartbroken because the person you were with didn't want to commit or
take the relationship seriously. Up next we have "This Condition". When
I was listening to the lyrics of this song it took me awhile to get an
idea in my head about what exactly this song could be about. I think
it's almost like you're with someone who doesn't necessarily treat you
the best but you can't help but be in love with them anyway, no matter
how much they treat you like garbage you can't help but want them to
love you the way you love them.
"21st Century Love" is a bit of a darker song. It talks about numerous
topics, mainly about how the modern world had become so computerized
and how there are so many negative things going on in the world that so
many close their eyes too. "Coke and Ecstacy", about someone being so
much in love with a person that they can't bare to be away from them.
They never want them to leave, they just want to be with them at any
cost.
"Oh Sweet Boy" comes across to me as another dark song. I totally love
the video Jeremy put together for this video. I can't really come up
with idea of what the song maybe about but I remember when I first
heard this MP3 I knew as soon as I knew the album itself was shipped
that I was in store for a very special treat.
"Hey Girl" sounds like a song about a girl who was interested in a boy
but when she told him how she truely felt, he rejected her and said he
didn't like her that way so now her friends are telling her to 'cheer
up' and enjoy her life. That there are many other fish in the sea.
"Clouds" is another song I can't really come up with an idea of what it
could be about, but none the less the lyrics of the song are so scenic
and colourful. It can paint a picture in your head. "One Phone Call"
sounds like another song about rejection. It's like you put your life
and heart on the line for someone but they don't show you the same kind
of love back, despite how much they tell you that they love you.
"One Phone Call" is about some of Jeremy's friends who have sadly
committed suicide. He shows the love for his dear lost friends and
wonders, "why did you do this? Why didn't you call me? I'm your friend,
you could have told me everything." This is definitely my favourite
song on the album by far, the lyrics really hit you right in the heart.
I kinda felt like crying when I first heard this song.
"Christine" sounds like its about a girl who was down with life and
found herself in a dark place. She eventually found happiness somewhere
and just when it seemed like life was throwing her a bunch of lemons,
something happened - almost like the clouds had parted, the rain washed
away and the sun shone down on her and smiled at her.
"Broken Pieces" reminds me of a conflicted romance. It's like one of
those romances where you're madly in love with someone but you know
they're not necessarily right for you but you're so much in love you
can't help but still want them.
"So Much In Love" is a cover of the Jill Jones song. I love this long
and lyrically it sounds like it's about being with someone and you so
much want to be 'the one'.
"From Afar" seems to be talking about how maybe love from a distance is
the best way to go because of the fear of getting too close and
everything crumbling down on you.
As for the other interludes - June '09 and December '09, they fit in
perfectly and add something special to the album.
So all in all I'll give Jeremy Gloff five out five stars for this
album. I think Jeremy did a great job tackling each and every aspect of
romance on this album. When you listen to this album you can feel the
passion that Jeremy brings to his songs and how genuine and sincere he
is not just as an artist but as a person.
In today day and age, music lacks a lot of passion and emotion. Britney
Spears singing about wanting people to "If You Seek Amy" and Pussycat
Dolls forgetting their approaching 30 and have yet to grow up, Beyonce
just being annoying and thinking she can actually sing when really her
voice is like hearing nails on a chalk board and listening to a cat
have screaming diahrea.
Jeremy Gloff is a true, genuine talent who pours his heart into his
music and when you listen to his songs you can tell he truly loves the
music he creates and always gives 110% of his heart as a gift to those
who take the time to look and search a little deeper into the music
scene to give indie musicians the limelight and recognition that is
very well deserved; more deserved than some of the so called 'talents'
out there today.
I definitely recommend you check out this album. It is too amazing to
go unnoticed, and I think if there is anyone who has gone threw a hard
time with romance or finding love - you should take the time to listen
to this album, I think people could pick up this album and really
relate to it.
I love this this album. This is the first album in a very long time
that I can honestly say I enjoy and love from beginning to end. I'd bet
if Jeremy mailed this album to any of his favourite artists they'd
probably like they what hear.
Like I said though - I'm sure I'm probably way off as to what the songs
meanings are but as I listened to the album and read along to the
lyrics on Jeremy Gloff's website these are the ideas I got into my head.