Particularly on “Just Pray”, Jake New’s R&B/Soul bridges the gap between singer-songwriter introspection and soulful vocals and grooves to create a track with universal appeal. Jake’s precocious maturity gives him a gravitas, a wisdom and grace that’s not common in popular music. An up and coming artist based out of Dallas, Texas, “Just Pray” is Jake’s first single release, while he already has an EP out, called “Goodbye Jacob Christopher”.
“Just Pray” showcases Jake New’s unique mixture of confidence and humility. And it captures the essence of the artist. To its credit, the arrangement is minimalist – not overpowering Jakes voice, but recognizing the power in its clarity and complementing it. Placed among Jake New’s poignant and heartfelt originals, “Just Pray” serves to reinforce the brilliance of his songwriting.
On “Just Pray” listeners can get a taste of, and embrace, the dignity and wisdom in Jake New’s unaffected expressions of pain, pleasure, and solemn grace. The song reveal a master storyteller who always seems to get the small details right. Jake’s strength is in his intimacy; his songs don’t bowl you over as being instantly impacting, but rather their profound quality becomes difficult to deny once you get to know them.
“Just Pray” is sparse and haunting with a throbbing bassline and skittering hi-hats driving the momentum under Jake New’s vocals. The uniqueness of his singing style is fully realized, in a track that bristles with energy and excitement. “Just Pray” is at turns powerful, emotional and restrained (and important element of Jake’s writing). Though Jake writes from a very particular perspective, he is able to bring everyone into his vision, through his performance.
Jake New writes songs that speak to the most human of all parts, the heart. Part of what makes Jake special, is his ability to be genuine; his ability speak to people; his ability to identify with the listeners, and have them believe that he is speaking directly to each of them on a one-on-one basis. It is an intangible in the arsenal of every great songwriter. It allows Jake to be more personal than others in the R&B/Soul genre.
In a time where people are still feeling separated and restless, Jake New has conjured up a track with the full intent of making sure everyone feels involved in his narrative. Everything on “Just Pray” flows well, sounds great, and has some kind of instrumental or vocal moment that’ll catch your ear. However, this is not cash-grab R&B/Soul, or your same-old, forgettable new release – “Just Pray” screams out talent.
Throughout its course, Jake uses “Just Pray” as a means to capture the extreme ends of sound, nuance and feeling. It’s a testament to Jake New’s skill as a songwriter that he’s able to pit these elements against each other, to make them sound heartfelt and complementary. It’s the sound of an artist completely at home in the niche he is carving out for himself.
OFFICIAL LINKS: INSTAGRAM – YOUTUBE – APPLE MUSIC
