Jason Being – Glory
Jason Being is fresh off the release of his latest offering, Glory, a seven-song mix of folk, alternative, and rock music through an especially twangy lens. The singer/songwriter recorded the album at Temple Cabin Studios in scenic Naples, NY, not too far from our lovely, metropolitan Buffalo area (but probably closer to our neighbors in Rochester). A quick view of the rural location and cozy cabin vibes give enough insight into what you might get with a listen to Being’s new album… Expect classic compositions with a strong narrative, delivered with a backbone of acoustic guitars and emphasized with a bevy of various instrumental flourishes.
Opening song “Glory” has a bit of a spaghetti western feel, with it’s tremolo-laced electric guitar accompaniment and bouncy rhythmic swagger. In the background, an interesting bongo track blips and boops alongside a rustic shaker. Soon, Being’s bluesy baritone comes in to bring it all together. Although “Glory” is actually a bit of an outlier on Glory, you can tell that Being’s songwriting is rooted in stuff that could be played around a campfire. Simple chords, pleasant progressions, and soothing rhythms are found all throughout this album – best of all, this is a well-written love song… And love (as opposed to pain, hate, or any other negative emotion) is harder to encapsulate effectively. Being shifts his gears on song two, “Time Machine.” Opting for a more upbeat sounding song, Being instead sings about a shared experience – wishing you could turn back the slow, cruel hands of time and have yourself a re-do. Pairing this deep longing with an uplifting instrumental is an interesting experience – especially that lighthearted, staccato bass that punctuates the choruses.
Being also offers a different take on a few of his older songs – “Mine” from 2021’s Introspection and 2024’s “Bleeding.” “Mine” is a celebration of oneself, and finding your inner peace, whatever that means to you. As opposed to the more pop-oriented original, the light funk of the Temple Cabin version is very pleasant on the ears – and Being even challenges his listeners (who, like me, were probably expecting more folk-tinged tinkering) with a reggae-inspired rap bridge about unlocking one’s third eye. It’s definitely a brave choice, but Being delivers it with 100% sincerity, and that place of comfort with oneself is ultimately the central thesis of this particular song. “Bleeding” too offers a different take on the bare-bones original. The Temple Cabin take is darker and more brooding, fully-fleshed out with a full-band instrumental suite. It’s a fitting album closer, and challenges the album’s earlier content with lyrics that delve into the pain of not getting what you want out of life.
Glory truly runs the gamut of all emotions – beyond the aforementioned tracks, “The Long Goodbye” is a touching and hopeful song about losing a family member to Alzheimer’s. “Rivers,” too, touches on Being’s own death and acts as a sort of comfort to his loved ones when the time finally comes. There’s lots of tremolo on the album, and the wavering electric piano track here might be one of the most effective uses of the effect across Glory. Lastly, if you’re looking for a pick-me-up, “Blood Lost” is probably the rock-n-roll-est moment here, detailing the antics of small town life. Fun-but-honest lyrics about young motherhood and dirt roads offer some of the best storytelling on the album, and the rollicking electric guitar here certainly gets the blood pumping.
Glory is available now (October 11th, 2024). You can preview the album via YouTube (below), or, add it to your Spotify and/or Apple Music libraries.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna