One of the key rules in music is to “tell your story”. Sometimes it’s during a solo, or maybe in the entire song. The team of guitarist Jan Esbra and vocalist/pianist Catey Esler make up the foundation of the Jade Collective and they use their five song ep as a story in itself.
Fitting the crazy times, Cycles focuses on the topic of change from prismatic perspectives, with each song reflecting a different color. Esler’s ethereal yet folksy voice teams up with Esbra’s acoustic guitar for the pastel painted “Light” and the two are likewise dreamy on the strummed and thoughtful “Lilith”. There is a synthy myst along with extra textures to the emotive and harrowing “Cycles”, with saxist Ben Wendel adding palpable layers to the bohemian and dramatic “Don’t” and Isaac Wong adding musings and effects to the more electrical “Interlude”. The overall feel is a kind of indie-folk meeting Brian Eno, with the moods of music and message reaching you in ear, heart and head.