Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jadis
Label: Jadismusic
Released: 2016
Duration: 45:22
Rating: 3.5/5
»No Fear Of Looking Down« is the latest, ninth studio outing from the British neo-prog outfit Jadis, who have been on the scene since 1982 under the leadership of singer and guitarist Gary Chandler. Jadis have always been known for favoring melodic arrangements and guitar-driven melodic rock built on sprawling synth textures, so nobody (anymore) really expects any particular innovation or a heavier experimental charge from them. In this melodic way, Jadis conjure up ethereal ambient shades that quickly carry the listener off to ‘distant worlds’, which makes them seriously ‘inviting’ even for those who aren’t all that close to experimental music.
For a few years their ranks also included the highly esteemed bassist Jon Jowitt and keyboard wizard Martin Orford, two longtime members of the better-known neo-prog rock peers IQ, but things changed quite a bit after Orford’s retirement and Jowitt’s second departure. Since the previous album, »See Right Through You« (2012), Jadis have operated with a lineup that, besides the sole original member, Chandler, and drummer Steve Christey, also included Italian keyboardist Giulio Risi and bassist Andy Marlow. While Marlow stayed in the band, Chandler and Christey quickly realized that Risi wasn’t the right choice for Jadis, so they pulled off a bit of a surprise. Somehow they managed to talk Orford into coming out of retirement and playing keyboards on »No Fear Of Looking Down«. You could say Martin played the key role in making »No Fear Of Looking Sown« a thoroughly solid album, though it’s far, far from being among the best prog rock releases of 2016.
Chandler’s vocals, which have always been ideal for melodic rock/AOR too, and his guitar playing are still the ‘main weapons’ on »No Fear Of Looking Down«, while Orford shows off some very inspired keyboard variations in his own style, even though this time he mostly busies himself ‘weaving’ ambient textures. The opening track, »Listen To Me«, is one of the most commercially minded things Jadis have ever done. Unfortunately it leaves rather mixed feelings, since structurally it’s almost closer to modern indie rock than to the melodic neo-prog Jadis usually play. After that botched opening, »Where Am I« leaves a much better impression: it’s a totally typical Jadis standard, cheerful in nature with a pleasant ambience, and it has just enough soloing variety not to come off as too dull.
On the symphonic instrumental »Change of The Season«, where very pleasant acoustic and woodwind arrangements rule, backed by melancholic guitar passages, Jadis clearly show off their symphonic-prog roots and the key influence of the legendary Genesis on their musical development. From roughly the second half onward, the compositions on »No Fear Of Looking Down« get noticeably more interesting, as if Chandler had suddenly found a wellspring of inspiration again. The album’s peak is definitely the title track, which also closes the record. Stylistically, mostly thanks to the driving guitar riff, not to mention Orford’s synth textures, it’s a bit reminiscent of early IQ, but with a more melodic bent and modern production.
Jadis have made a fairly predictable record, but one that is played superbly and arranged with finesse, and it offers plenty of pleasant ambient moments even for those who don’t feel any special love for experimental music. Fans of strongly melodic, instantly accessible neo-prog will once again get their money’s worth with »No Fear Of Looking Down«, though it’s by no means anything outstanding. You could even say Jadis have become the most predictable of all the eighties neo-prog heroes, since they’ve more or less been clinging to the same formula ever since »More Than Meets The Eye« (1992), still their defining work. It seems that after every step forward, they take a step back with the next album. Good thing their studio albums don’t come out all that often, otherwise hardly any prog gourmet would waste time on them. Thanks to their melodic and instantly accessible nature, though, Jadis remain a good pick for any fans of more commercial genres who need a little nudge in being gradually introduced to the complex and stylistically staggeringly diverse world of progressive rock.
Line-up
Gary Chandler – guitar, vocals, keyboards, arranger and producer
Martin Orford – keyboards, piano, flute, hurdy gurdy, backing vocals
Andy Marlow – bass guitar
Steve Christey – drums, percussion
Production
Gary Chandler
Tracklist
1. Listen To Me (5:34)
2. Where Am I (5:22)
3. Just Let It Happen (7:09)
4. A Thousand Staring Eyes (4:51)
5. Change Of The Season (5:08)
6. Seeds Of Doubt (4:33)
7. Abandoned (6:07)
8. No Fear Of Looking Down (6:38)
