Jay Draper & The Subterraneans - No Exit

What’s good about ‘No Exit’ is that Jay Draper’s voice is still phenomenal. He hits highs and lows as well as he did on “Behind the Night”, and the passion found on that album returns twofold here. There’s a very, very slight effect on his voice that whirls in the background that I really didn’t notice until I slapped on my headphones, but it adds an alien nature that I’ve come to expect from this project. Like a mythos from another world visiting our planet. 

But there’s something missing within ‘No Exit’, and I believe it’s a sense of fullness and mastery that was present on his previous album “Behind the Night”. Even with minimal songs such as ‘Scatterbrain’, there was a sense of mystery and awe within the music; ‘No Exit’ does not scratch that surface. There’s no atmospheric energy, dreamy fulfillment, or other such necessities that made Jay Draper so unique on “Behind the Night”. The circus sounding synths sound raw and unproduced, which doesn’t pair well with Jay Draper’s voice. To put it lightly, the instrumental part of ‘No Exit’ sounds like a demo. 

What tickles me a bit about this release, however, is that ‘I Dreamt I Was Alive (Demo)’ sounds more complete and like a Jay Draper & the Subterraneans song than the lead single does. Twangy guitar echoes into the cosmos as synths chime along; I pictured myself staring into space laying on the orange grass of some far-off planet as I listened to this song as creatures from another dimension soared above. And when a song can take me off my feet and transport me elsewhere, that’s a good sign. 

I stand with Jay Draper on this release, even is ‘No Exit’ was somewhat of a letdown. It’s not the astonishing product I was expecting, but nor is it a complete failure when three-quarters of what was released made me joyous on the inside. I’m wondering where Jay Draper will head next, and I hope it continues to be as stylish as the man himself. Six-and-a-half out of ten.