Album Review: Max Jury – Max Jury
2 min read
As the kind of artist attracting attention from the likes of Lana Del Rey and Mark Ronson, Max Jury’s been gaining all kinds of positive attention even before the release of his debut album. With his musical blend of soul and country, it’s easy to see why. With a formidable assortment of life experiences and relationships to draw upon, there’s a solid base for this style of album that allows Jury to tackle it valiantly. While his self-titled debut album isn’t especially inventive or exploratory, it features strength and hook enough to potentially draw in myriad listeners in the future.
Across the entirety of Max Jury, most of the expected Americana-esque styles are covered. The gospel-blues hybrid of album intro Numb opens the album on a high note, most notably through its call-and-response chorus and use of piano, while the follow-up Standing On My Own evokes country vibes instead through its use of guitar, but flourishes thanks to its use of horns in its chorus. The organ and choir vocals of Princess is one of the album’s most striking songs, with its slow clapping percussion line and use of strings making for a somewhat defeated track that evokes its theme as well through its music as it does via lyrics. With an assortment of ballads and rock and roll tracks tying the album together beyond this point, it covers its bases well.
As mentioned, the album never really breaks stunning ground that makes for a truly unique experience. It instead relies on the strength of its material to stay within the realms of familiarity while remaining entertaining, and it’s a route that works especially well for Jury. While the album features plenty of high notes, especially in its earlier stages, it never falls to a point where it becomes unenjoyable or warrants skipping a track. Jury’s lighter vocals lack the rough edge that often benefits country music, but in his case it offers a different take on the style that comes off just as enjoyable as the alternative.
So, as it stands, there isn’t much bad to say about Max Jury. It’s a sturdy example of an enjoyable, modernised album with an Americana touch to it, and Jury twists the style to his will with amazing skill, right down to the funky shuffle of Ella’s Moonshine, where he takes the simplest of instrumentals and makes it strikingly interesting. It may not change your life upon first listen, but that doesn’t mean that Max Jury isn’t exactly what you’ve been looking for.
