Skipping along to the beat of a rambunctious drum kit, the guitars that glide in between the verses of “So Far Away,” the new single from Jas Frank & the Intoits’ The Girl from Cherry Valley, are warm and inviting amidst a chilly backdrop and pack a startlingly smooth punch that gives the track its lusty instrumental prowess. Situated between the vivacious vocal of Frank and an ultra-light bassline, these strings are only one ingredient in the melting pot of melodies that you’re going to hear when giving this single a spin or checking out the stunning lyric video recently released by the band featuring the song as its primary star.
URL: theintoits.com/
The rhythm here is somewhat stock, but the kaleidoscopically colorful harmony that it spurs forward is anything but predictable. The percussion is a major component to the construction of the hook in the chorus, and you could even say that without its rebellious attitude, the track would be missing a certain gusto that sophisticated pop singles require to get any limelight from critics in the alternative rock realm. It isn’t as powerful as the lyrical delivery from Frank, but it’s essential to this righteous recipe regardless.
Jas Frank & the Intoits have a wonderful chemistry that you can tell is natural and genuine from the jump in this song, and if I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that this wasn’t their first lyric video or single by a longshot. They sound so compatible with each other, so comfortable with each other’s quirks and mannerisms, that when they attack this stately chorus, there’s no rigidity in the transition at all whatsoever. It’s more than talent that we’re hearing here; it’s a group of musicians connecting with one another in a way that is divinely intuitive and which has clearly been fostered through remarkable discipline.
The master mix focuses primarily on the string arrangement in this song, but the other parts that guide the guitars aren’t completely left in the dark behind the soundboard. Frank’s voice could cut through most anything that gets in its path, and it harmonizes with the acoustic guitars epically in the chorus. As previously mentioned, the drums are the preeminent role player here, and they follow the sonic route carved out by the strings without ever straying from the path. Jas Frank & the Intoits have gotten credit for many different of aspects within their sound, but a lot more needs to be said about their incredibly ferocious fretting, which can make or break the kind of music that they’ve chosen to make.
YOU TUBE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVTBN3-y3WI
I wasn’t all that familiar with this band before getting turned onto The Girl from Cherry Valley, but I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard so far and definitely plan on following their journey as they continue to establish themselves on the global pop circuit. 2019 has been a very interesting time for indie rock on the international spectrum, and it’s artists like Jas Frank & the Intoits that are making it that way. These guys are pushing the envelope as far as they can, and raising an impressed eyebrow or two in the process.
Clay Burton