Jackson Howard - Just For the Mystery (2017)

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Written by Dale Butcher, posted by blog admin

Saint Louis bred guitar slinger, singer, songwriter Jackson Howard works up a steady head of steam across the 13 tunes all told on his second full-length release, Just for the Mystery.  With a rich expressive voice, impressive songwriting and a backing band that literally covers every instrument a player could need, there’s a lot of deep diving melody to be found here. 

The hook-laden title track sets the stage for an album full of infectious numbers with a decidedly country/folk flavor that utilizes little bits of rock whenever applicable.  This tune is a great example of the rock influences at work with hip-shaking 4/4 rhythms catching a groovy buzz as acoustic/electric guitars dance atop the melody-maintaining piano and Howard’s lush vocals maintaining constant forward momentum.  They slow things down on “A Place in this World,” saving the more rocking arrangements for the choruses and keeping things acoustic for the verses for some nice juxtaposition and well-written musical shifts/transitions. 

“Run with me” is a dusky country number punctuated by reflective vocals, country n’ western acoustic guitar and rhythmic minimalism; it simmers until reaching a boil during the late game resolution where Howard lets the vocals fly, the guitar work climaxes, and the drumming really takes off.  This is certainly a highlight alongside a pair of cosmic duets; the first being the old school, gospel-sounding “Hideaway” with rousing call n’ response between Jackson and Mandy Cook and second a stellar cover of Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore,” a true classic that Howard and the band embellish with a wandering blues guitar and rhythmic romp and Jackson’s superb vocal trades with Rachel Horter. 

“Surround You,” “Driftwood” and “This Town” make for a nice trio of tunes all anchored by acoustic guitar, mournful vocals and mixed country/blues/folk influences that really enrich the vibe.  “Dizzy” is back to rock n’ roll ivory tinkling, bombastic rhythm grooves and acoustic/electric guitar crunch that pave the way for some of Howard’s best vocal work.  “If I Fall” is just a grand vocal/piano medley that also reckons of another standout track while “You Are More” and “Tribute” are nice melodic ballads even if they don’t explore any new ground that the above mentioned trio of songs did.  Closer “Unbelievable,” a cover of the EMF hit, stumbles a bit by being a basic rocker that’s not quite up to the standards of Howard’s other tunes or the Zeppelin cover; serviceable, yes, but it really doesn’t add anything else to this release.  Overall, Just for the Mystery never truly falters and there’s a lot of great stuff to be found. It’s obvious that Jackson Howard’s songwriting will improve tenfold with each release.  He’s more than on his way here.