Just chill and see what happens.
Jackson Hill’s first-ever project titled Rabbit Feather is a five-track EP that has a unique blend across a variety of genres. Rabbit Feather‘s overall sound feels most in the realm of ambient music, however, it is never bound by these sounds.
The opening track, “Cloud Club” and the third track, “Rabbit Feather” create an interesting fusion of genres. “Cloud Club” opens with some great electronic notes and keys that create a light tone to the sounds. The mixture of sounds between the hard bass, and simplistic snaps introduce a smidge of hip hop. The track is layered with scattered sounds that never feel overused or unintentional. “Cloud Club” dabbles in the genre of lo-fi, and its ambient swift tones contrast well with the sounds implemented throughout. “Rabbit Feather” develops these same influences throughout its run time. Much like “Cloud Club,” “Rabbit Feather” opens with this ambient tone and slams it with this hard electronic bass. The touch of Japanese influence heard through the string instrumentation helps the track evolve and weave throughout genres. Both tracks manage to succeed at sticking to an ambient core while allowing for experimentation throughout. To do so, without sounding clustered and aimless, was a real highlight of the EP.
Where “Cloud Club” and “Rabbit Feather” accent ambient noises, “Figment” and “A Brief History” put ambient at the forefront. “Figment” in particular feels like the most stripped and simple track within Rabbit Feather. This isn’t undermining the song’s impact, as the acoustic nature and soft piano of “Figment” create a fresh and light sound. “Figment” feels like it would be right at home in any soundtrack, it’s hard not to feel emotionally invested throughout the three-minute run time. For how beautiful “Figment” sounds, it’s so separate from the EP. With the aesthetic of Rabbit Feather being one comprised of a multitude of influences; “Figment” feels too on the nose of its sound to blend with any other track.
“A Brief History” also feels separated from the EP, especially following the harder-hitting “Rabbit Feather.” “A Brief History” experiments with these low-cutting bass sounds and high-pitched whistles throughout. While the electronic basis of the track is interesting, meshing electronic string instruments with low bass, the other sounds just seem out of place. “A Brief History” feels brief, too simplistic and stripped to be memorable, and seems to get lost within the EP. The highlighted sounds of whistles don’t stand out as interesting enough to carry the backbone of the track.
The closing track, “Whatever Helps You Sleep At Night,” feels more shifted towards the experimentation of genre. Incorporating great blimps of electronic sound effects and an energetic bassline liven up the track. While the bassline and electronic elements feel like they would be right at home within a Tame Impala song, other elements feel more controlled. The drums are stagnant throughout and don’t provide any real charismatic backbeat. Rather than putting the charming bassline or pulsing bass at the forefront of the track, they feel caged behind less interesting sounds. “Whatever Helps You Sleep At Night” sits well within the complete sound of Rabbit Feather, never straying too far from the overall theme.
Jackson Hill demonstrates an interesting way to incorporate a mixture of lounge and electronic sounds together that sometimes inspires one to get involved in the music. There is serious potential to tap upon these elements, at times they just don’t feel complete, varying, or satisfying enough to stand out. Jackson Hill has developed a unique sound that shows room for further exploration in upcoming projects.
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