Brother Loyola is the debut album from Jessica Jalbert (twitter/bandcamp) and what a way for the Canadian songstress to make an entrance. Released this week, Brother Loyola takes you on a journey of enchantment where Jalbert offers an insight into the peaceful melancholia of her thoughts.

At times it’s difficult to understand why Jessica’s vocals are so detached when the lyrics are obviously extremely personal. Once you learn that she’s the shyest thing on the planet it all begins to make a little more sense and she becomes that little bit more endearing. If that’s even possible.

Necromancy is a peaceful album opener quite haunting at times but organic in its sound. With the title referring to the blackest of the black arts- reawakening the dead- it’s odd that such a peaceful song would follow. Jalbert might be urging for a loved one to return, or maybe she’s missing a part of the past that will never return. Whatever the content, Necromancy is a track that provides tranquil acceptance to Jessica, to me and maybe to you.

Whatever Whoever is an upbeat track that supplies a degree of despondency with a handful of uncanny. With garage rock guitars, it’s one of the strongest songs on the album sounding like a mixture of Kimya Dawson and Regina Spektor. This one really is a gem. Paris Green is again one of Jalbert’s stronger and louder songs, which offers that dream-like peacefulness. O Evening Colours incorporates grungey guitars, that even Billy Corgan would be proud of, with heartfelt, watery vocals.

Brother Loyola switches from sensitive to epic and back again with the nonchalant vocals always remaining a constant. Jalbert is definitely going to appear on the soundtrack of the next Zach Braff film with a protagonist who’s loosely based on Holden Caulfield. If this has put you off, it really shouldn’t. It’s a beautifully constructed debut showing that Jalbert has a lot to offer; hopefully her shyness won’t stop her!

[BUY] Jessica Jalbert – Brother Loyola on MP3 | CD | VINYL

Lack of a Lake by Jessica Jalbert
Necromancy by Jessica Jalbert
Paris Green by Jessica Jalbert