Today's Two
Two songs to make you feel something (Jesu, Ward Thomas)
Jesu, “Transfigure” (Conqueror / 2007)
Jesu is Justin Broadrick who started Napalm Death and Godflesh, but the music he creates under this alias is MUCH brighter, hopeful even. The guitars are distorted and the bass is tuned way down, this is heavy music. It’s heavy music that finds sky-bursting melody. Call it post-rock or whatever but it sounds extremely great on a dreary winter day. There’s tons to dig into with Jesu if you rock with this, which is always fun!
Ward Thomas, “Never Know” (Restless Minds / 2019)
Sticky-sweet country pop from this British duo whose name sounds like some SEC quarterback taken in the third round. Each move here sounds pristinely calculated in-studio. They nail the “let the music drop out during late-song chorus and insert claps” deal and it crushes.