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A Review of Mirage and the Stone by Jonas Witherspoon Many albums ultimately prove themselves guilty of attempt. They attempt to be minimalist, complex, emotional, industrial, and the list goes on. CENTRIC's Mirage and the Stone bucks the trend by standing out as one of the most effortless records this reviewer has ever heard. Although electro-rock singer/songwriter Jason Judy apparently took the better part of five years to carefully craft his concept album , the listener feels as though the words and music are eloquently flowing from start to finish. The record begins with "Schematic", a tone-setter for the entire body of work. An alternative folk guitar style intermeshes with dance keyboard tones, which will end up being the bread and butter of a record which incorporates hundreds of delicately and smartly placed timbres throughout its 45 minute run-time. Then, onto "All in a Dream", where initially, a Strokes-ish vibe gives way to one of several electo-rock arrangements that, for lack of a better word, just work. So many times an electronic artist will force the blend of standard rock instruments with an array of MIDI-induced masturbation (case in point Beck's Midnight Vultures). CENTRIC seems well aware of the formula necessary to make the mix work, which in turn makes songs like "All in a Dream" flow freely enough so the listener can focus on the lyrics. "Luna" reveals the stylistic range of Mr. Judy-- he somehow merges folk into shoegaze meets Slow Dive, bending guitars over a keyboard template. As he calls out to the siren that anguishes him against a wall of softly placed saw keys, it becomes clear that this is the most well-crafted song on the record. "In Flight", dubbed by Mr. Judy as the male equivalent of "I Will Survive", is sonically the farthest thing from the actual comparison. The song initially establishes a nice groove with acoustic guitars synching with bass-heavy record scratches. This leads into a killer Stratocaster-fueled bridge which then leads into an outro projecting sonic vestiges of Ryan Adams. "Mind the Gap" is another gem (it was hard to find fillers on this record) and really brings out Judy's storytelling acumen. He recounts the blur of transatlantic travels and encounters as if they were really a figment of the imagination. A verse of looping synthesizer over electronic beats leads into mini-choruses of the most apropos vocal layering. "Emerald" sees a return to folk roots. One gets the sense that Mr. Judy was originally brought up on folk, then introduced to electronica, and then re-introduced back into folk. Why? Because the sonic meshes are appropriately channeled--nothing stands out in the arrangement on "Emerald". It's just a damn good song. "A Years Time" is the second-best song on the record and bears the best Rhodes piano arrangement written since the Rhodes piano became the cult keytone of choice among Gen X and Gen Y musicians. It is also the climax of this concept album as the lyrics confront the realization that you can't force a stronger connection with a person than the one which exists in reality. At the close of the song, drummer Ash Bruce [of the group Ki:Theory] does an excellent job delivering the percussive canvas to sing above. And then, just when you think Mr. Judy has gone soft on us, he makes a point to re-engineer the opening track as an electro-warehouse-rocker titled "Narrator". Many people will disagree with this reviewer's opinion of which song rings as the best one. My vote is "The Battle of Sherando". The reason is that, as a listener, you get sucked into this song. The lyrics tell the complete story of a mentally exhausting night-time bike-ride from hell set to an outstanding progression of beats, keys, and other tones. For brief moments throughout the song, I thought I was the guy riding his bike through the labyrinth of hostile Sherando mountain trails. When the techno pulse of the song switches to a distinct disco pulse, this proves to be one of the best moments on the record. This then leads to the best moment on the record--when the disco beat denouement gives way to a hammering, one-chord, anger-laced ‘fuck you'(without saying it). You can envision Mr. Judy punching his entire body through a cement wall. Which leads us to the final track, "The Art of Letting Go". If "In Flight" allows Mr. Judy to move on in a positive way, then this final track must have left this young man in some sort of chaotic state-- where we question motives and wonder where to move our minds next after "the damage is done". The beautiful sonic damage that Mr. Judy has done on this record should be enough for others to vicariously experience such a powerful catharsis. |
