Goaty Tapes

Gem Jones – ‘Admiral Frenchkiss’
Recored in Dexter, Iowa to four-track portastudio. Admiral Frenchkiss is a Midwest bonanza of sweaty post-Prince stylistics. Gem Jones plays full-band jammers, piano key laments, dub-inflected anthems, and damaged rock discharges, buoyed by a nimble funk finesse that belies his bedroom esthetix. As with all my favorite music, it’s hard to tell where private feelings end and affected put-ons begin. Gem Jones belts out lyrics like he really means them. His demented guitar solos are like teenboys flailing around basements with raw testoid delirium. Nonetheless, Gem’s delicate zigzag between postures carries a whiff a sly parody–a balladeer peeking out the corner of his eye, gauging the vibe, and shapeshifting accordingly.

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