Henry Jamison, The Rains

Henry Jamison

The Rains

Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier

Burlington, VT native Henry Jamison comes from a long line of writers and creatives, but don’t let that distract you from focusing on the artist himself. Jamison’s singer/songwriter talent comes through naturally on his debut EP, The Rains, out via Akira Records.

The opener, “Dallas Love Field,” is like a peek into Jamison’s life that illustrates a memorable day in the relationship between Jamison and a significant other. In the opening lines of the song, Jamison sings “She sings of apple trees and blossoms / and she called me from Dallas Love Field / as a winter storm warning / went on taunting me…”

Jamison continues sings on describing how the two met as two “bright-eyed alcoholics” visiting “dive bars on the edge of town.” Questions in the song like “was it some chilling false persona that was leading me around” to lines like “my right hand offended me, but my left hand was wavin’ free ‘til it knocked me out” are such incredible examples of a naturally gifted, prolific writer that has the ability to turn simple words into thought-provoking statements.

His musical style is mainly of singer/songwriter with an indie folk vibe that is highlighted on the lead single, “Real Peach,” a sweetly sung ode to about a significant other, another with beautiful lyricism: “‘Cause my baby, she’s a real peach / even when the night comes crashing down / real peach / and the nighttime rolls away all right / and we’re coming back to the demon killing work of love…”

His newest single, “Through A Glass,” is about how we sometimes, in the early stages of romantic relationships, become almost hypnotized by that said individual. The track illustrates the songwriter recounting his romance with a captivating accompaniment of gentle acoustic guitar that parallels the emotions of dream.

The Rains is a set of five beautifully crafted, acoustic guitar-led diary entries of Jamison’s personal experiences with relationships, love, and life. Jamison possesses the natural gift of creating eloquent art out of simple prose and of producing musical imagery with his beautiful singing voice.

Rating: Bad-Ass