Joshua Kenneth Grierson has always been somewhat of an elusive figure in Cape Town’s alt scene. He seems to work silently, and then, when you’re least expecting it, he drops these pearls of melodic folk rock that stop you in your tracks.
In 2020 he released his debut album as Jak Tomas, Of Love & Anxiety, a visceral chronicle of life and love in the 21st century.
Now, four years later, he gives us his sophomore project Pretty In Pink – a richly textured, beautifully innovative five-track EP.
With the discordant harmonic tinges of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool and the melancholy of Orlando Weeks’ A Quickening (The Maccabees), this is an offering of intricate experimentation, packed with subtle surprise.
“I think it must have been around 2011 when I bought my first loop pedal,” says Grierson. “All around the world, the loop-craze was spreading like wildfire, and I was very intrigued to see what would happen if I got my hands on one.”
“From the moment I laid down my first four-bar loop, it unlocked some new pathway to enlightenment,” he continues. “I was surprised and ecstatic to hear what was happening with my creativity. Being a more traditional songwriter, it unlocked a new way of writing, and sparked genres of music I didn’t even know were in me.”
Nic Van Reenen (Bateleur, Fever Trails, Ex Olympic) got hold of Grierson’s fragmented recordings and agreed to produce the project. This was back in 2015. Nine years later, the result is brilliantly contemporary, and at the same time expertly simple.
Again, there’s that elusive spirit I’m talking about. Nine years spent working on a project with no social media buzz or rollout campaign. Just two guys making music because that’s what their instinct told them to do.
I get the feeling that Grierson couldn’t make a mainstream album even if he tried, and that’s a good thing. Guided by intuition, and perhaps curiosity too, Pretty In Pink is a wandering piece of music.
Unpredictable in structure and style, opener “Forgiven” breaks down into downcast keys and beautiful synths, setting the tone for what’s to follow.
Nic Van Reenen’s influence is all over this record too. In many ways it feels akin to xo – his 2021 solo project as Ex Olympic – with its chiming acoustics and intricate instrumental interludes.
But there’s something that wraps this album in mystery too, from the gentle percussion of title track “Pretty In Pink” to the Bon Iver-esque falsettos of “Hide Us”.
Closer “Dead Water” is just lush and so perfectly plain. It brings to mind Bing & Ruth’s Tomorrow Was The Golden Age, it’s understated ambience and off-beat production one final reminder of Grierson and Van Reenen’s fateful creative partnership.
Listen for yourself to discover this deftly honest piece of music, which is surely one of the best local releases we’ve heard all year.
