Philadelphia-based Jacob Theriot, known by his new alias Jaco Jaco, has delivered a concise seven-song project that pulls sonically from Tame Impala and Blood Orange. He blends the modern sonic trends of indie pop with 70s-influenced psychedelic pop and funk and layers over simple melodies and playful lyrics. Theriot pushes boundaries by leaning on tried-and-true techniques while subtly infusing his own artistry, which allows the listener to settle into something beyond nostalgia.
Gremlin is very easy on the ears. It’s full of traditional lo-fi, heavily saturated bass and drum sounds, with syncopated guitars and synthesizers sitting on top. The soundscape is meticulously crafted, with Theriot and his collaborators leaving just enough space in the mix for the listener to breathe. Each instrument has a clear purpose and outlines part of the arrangement until everything comes together on a unison melodic line, typically following the vocal. It’s a hypnotizing blend of live and synthetic sounds, with finger-picked soft acoustic guitars incorporated throughout the record. This sonic choice could be attributed to mixer Chad Copelin, who has worked with folk-leaning artists like Sufjan Stevens.
Theriot understands the genre he is pushing into. He is very precious with his lyrical real estate, and while the lines remain ambiguous, the overarching themes of the songs are communicated through the choruses. Theriot uses simple metaphors to describe emotions instead of trying to extend them through entire songs, allowing the core of the song to remain the center of attention. One of the strongest examples of this is the chorus “Power,” which reads:
“Let the devil in you if you want him to step on all your flowers / Could I ever be all you see in me you hold all the power.”
The mix of the devil/flowers metaphor in the first half with the direct approach of the second half allows Theriot to paint the listener a simple picture while reminding them of what he wants them to take away from the song. This approach lets the listener impart their own lived experiences onto his descriptions, forging a deeper bond with the music and lyrics instead of trying to dissect Theriot himself. He almost remains a third-person narrator the entire time, like he’s laying out these stories for the listener to take home with them.
Despite its length, Gremlin delivers the same thorough arc as a traditional 10-12+ track album. Theriot gives the listener so many textures to digest in each track that it’s easy to get lost in the music. He pulls a sonic throughline between the heavy-hitting, groovy tracks like the opener, “What’s It Like in the Sunshine,” and slower songs like “Gremlin World” and “Power.” Jaco Jaco is going to be an artist to watch as he blazes a new path in the indie pop scene. Catch his first live performance on April 19th in Philadelphia, supporting Husbands and Jaguar Sun.
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