Nick Jaina - Wool

This week’s blog is an album spotlight about one of the first artists that I came to follow in earnest. His album, Wool, was my introduction to his work, and has been massively influential on my musical tastes. Nick was generous enough to provide a bit of insight into his work via email, which was much appreciated as a writer of this blog and a fan of his work.

Image from: (nickjaina.bandcamp.com/album/wool)

Before getting into my personal favorites off it, I thought I’d touch on the broader themes of the album. The first thing you’ll notice as a listener is the amount of detail in the sound design. In addition to unique instrumentation choices, the album features found sounds, foley effects, and even old recording clips. I find myself finding new hidden sounds in each listen through. Definitely a treat and a challenge to try and discern specific sounds upon analyzing it. The music and lyrics present an intricate puzzle with endless interpretations. My cup of tea!

Each song stands on its own and provides a different color and emotion for the listener to consider. Even with this independence, the music all feels cut from the same cloth. “I really wanted to make a collection of songs that felt like Chopin's Preludes in that they each have a distinct melody, a different shade of melancholy or sweetness, and don't overstay their welcome. I wanted each song to feel like it was an opener for the next.” This pursuit of Chopin naturally explains the prominence of the piano. Nick went on to tell me that this particular instrument the album was recorded on was Elliott Smith’s old piano at Jackpot Records in Portland. “I was actually the last person to record on it before it was moved to the Experience Music Project in Seattle. You can listen to his old demos of songs like ‘I Didn't Understand’ and hear the same character.” 

The thing I find most intriguing about the music and lyrics of Nick Jaina is that they have a way of capturing sentiments that are difficult to place. Being eerie and melancholic, while simultaneously warm and comforting. Like one of those paintings where things come into focus when stepping back and letting your eyes unfocus, there’s meaning in the text that becomes apparent by letting the music and lyrics blend into one. I encourage you to let your ears relax and unfocus as you listen, perhaps you’ll find some truth to my rambling!
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Power

This track is the first tune I was exposed to on the album. Although when I first heard it, it was as the all cello arrangement by the Portland Cello Project. I made a post not too long ago discussing their album, which you can read about here and listen to that version. 

In addition to being my gateway into the music of Nick Jaina, “Power” is probably my favorite track on the album. Moans from the void and hums of electricity can be heard swelling in the background of a chugging piano, with weaving guitar, bass clarinet, and cello lines commenting on statements in the voice. The dense orchestration offers so much for the ear to cling on to. We hear the return of old instruments, most importantly the music box from the previous track, “Maryanne”. I never realized how much bass clarinet can sound like a buzzing lightbulb before listening to this track.

Lyrics:

in the fullness of the moon
I'll sing my only sacred tune
and all the bitterness and hate
you can just scrape right off your plate
set aside your clever smile
come and lay with me a while
while you're drawing up your will
the apartment house is still
they shut the power off

​when the moon is proper full
dip your hand into the wool
and let it slip down to the skin
feel the fever held within
remember when we thought we'd die
the cops fell out of the sky
and pushing through the night
your hand held my hand so tight
they shut the power off

​rumors suit you just fine
they warm you like wine
past strangers and tight roads
and singing in the park
ten feet further in the dark
your saviors are all failures to me
(nickjaina.com/power)

​​I interpret the lyrics as a kind of love song. Struggling to nurture affection amongst a set of impossible circumstances. Every time the characters get close to love, “they shut the power off”. The imagery of the full moon and power outages evokes the coziness of huddling on a couch as the walls creak and lights flicker from a raging storm outside.
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Bicycle

The tail end of “Power” serves as a pickup to “Bicycle”. The two songs feed directly into each other. Howling wind and creaking of an old bicycle underscore a gently lulling and eerie melody. One can’t help but imagine a flying bicycle floating amongst the clouds. Nick says, “‘Bicycle’ is me writing an escalating series of metaphors for how to depict the moon in a delightful way.” 

The lyrics end on a particularly sweet note. That despite all the trials and tribulations of life, “I will climb on my bicycle and carry the moon to your house”.

Lyrics:

​there's a bicycle
that two crows ride
and they carry the moon across the sky

that is a lie
the moon is a pie
thrown long ago in a clown fight

​that isn't true
it's a hole in the roof
of our mason jar
so we can breathe

​​I'm not a soldier
and I'm not a saint
my clothes are all covered in paint

and I feel like a clown
when my car breaks down
and my paycheck is already gone

but I will climb on my bicycle
and carry the moon to your house
(nickjaina.com/bicycle)

​Hymn

​Echoing chimes and bells from the immediately preceding “Interlude 15” flank a holy and earnest piano. A recurring chorus contrasts this warmth, introducing thunder and turbulence. Each verse becomes further entrenched, and the introduction of a choir further underlines the sorrow that is mixed into this hymn.

Lyrics:

​down every road
that you hope to go
I'll light the way
down every road
and oh they debate
in criminal ways
and all that was clear
is now locked in haze

until you find a man in the city
who showers you with twenties and fifties
and you'll call it love

​and he watches o'er us
with just one eyeball
all that we do
with just one eyeball
and the thoughts that we think
slips like blood down the sink
and if anyone hears
they can have a drink

until you find a man in the city
who showers you with twenties and fifties
and if you find a man in the city
who showers you with twenties and fifties
don't call it love
(nickjaina.com/hymn)

​I find the lyrics to present a scenario of unrequited love. Despite our character’s best efforts, it seems the subject of their affection has turned away from them. The contrasting verse and chorus serve as a reflection of this duality of care and bitterness.

Nick names his main influence on the tune as being Veda Hille’s “Tuktoyaktuk Hymn”. “I wanted a hymn of my own, something that feels timeless and holy.” The parallels between the two songs are unmistakable. The detailed peripheral sounds are an especially common motif between the two, giving both songs a sincere, but unstable aura.

​Ponchatoula

​This is a fun one! I have to admit to pulling this progression out and improvising over it a few times. The fantastic combo of piano, bass clarinet, and violin create a satisfying bluesy feel that is addicting to listen to, and to play along with. I’ll definitely be bringing this to my next jam.

Lyrics:

​when it was good it was in Ponchatoula
now that it's bad, it's in our souls, it's in our souls
when we were blessed, we were blessed in Ponchatoula
now that the crime's confessed, we are walking over the hot coals
when your dress was white, it was as white as the sun
when the sun was bright, we lived down there in a shotgun
when the rains came, well we did the best we could
if it weren't for the aligators, we would've slept out there in the woods

when it was right, it was in Ponchatoula
now that it's wrong, it's wrong all over the world
even when I was good, I was robbing banks in Ponchatoula
and even when you were bad, you were still my sweet angel girl
one day a flood will come and wash our sins away
it will smash our cares into the earthen clay
from the lips of every judge will be the cry of "Halleluja"
from the Lakes of Ponchartrain to my grave in Ponchatoula
(nickjaina.com/ponchatoula)

​​With clear lyrical similarities with the folk tune, Nick describes the song as “an homage to the old song "Lakes of Pontchartrain" and a document of a small town where my friends used to live. The ‘when it was good’/ ‘when it was bad’ dichotomy speaks to the difficult polarities of living with someone.”

​Springtime

​This one is another favorite of mine, right up there with “Power”. This tune compares cycles of love to seasons, juxtaposing the ending of a relationship to the winter, but finding hope in the solace that spring and new love might bring.

Lyrics:

​Well, spring is a time for new love
to pursue love
under the grapevines
and I was a child of plenty
but I lent it
all out to you

​Well, winter is a time for thieving
for deceiving
in the pockets of overcoats
and I'll be gone for the season
but you must believe that
I'll be back in the springtime
(nickjaina.com/springtime)

​Nick was inspired by Tom Waits’ "You Can Never Hold Back Spring" when writing "Springtime”. “It's hard to write really hopeful music that doesn't end up feeling shallow. I always want to acknowledge the darkness even when I talk about the Spring.” As a listener, I think it’s this balance of light with darkness that gives these songs their unique emotional impact.

​Thank you for joining me on a little walk through of one of my favorite albums! Special thank you to Nick Jaina for taking the time to answer my questions about the album, and give fascinating insight into a bit of the background behind it. It was a treat to get another deep dive into the work, and I hope I spurred some fellow music lovers into giving the full album a listen! Available here: (nickjaina.bandcamp.com/album/wool) (I highly recommend it!) Until next time, happy jamming!