Jo Hirabayashi–the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer behind Canada’s Jo Passed–is very much alive, even though his sophomore album, Away, took eight years to come out. You can’t, or shouldn’t, rush a good thing, and this collection of 11 layered indie rockers is as honest and real as it gets. With his 2018 debut LP Their Prime (Sub Pop) long behind him, Away showcases Hirabayashi at his creative best, and is the culmination of a long and arduous road on which he suffered burnout and anxiety as he scrapped various versions before arriving at its final state. “Away is a process record–about processing, about the process of making music, and the process of navigating one’s own psyche,” he notes.
Centered around Hirabayashi’s mental health journey and recovery in between releases, the songs of Away range from existential to deeply personal, all with a lighthearted touch and explored via a knotty, dynamic sound that might’ve occurred if Elliott Smith had jammed with Brian Eno in the ‘70s. Hirabayashi leads on vocals, bass, guitar and keys, along with Téa Mei on additional vocals, drums by Mac Lawrie and Justin Devries, strings by Meredith Bates, and woodwinds and saxophones by Andromeda Monk. The resulting album is like an impasto painting, layered on thick then scraped and glazed. The necessary soft cuddle in all this stress and uncertainty unfolds with the standout single “Ico” is dedicated to Téa Mei’s cherished 15-year-old Siberian long-haired cat, co-parented by Hirabayashi for five years.
Local support from Videostore (FKA Freaks & Geeks) and Rotten Heights.
ALWAYS ALL AGES
