JARVIS CHURCH Shake It Off (Sony) Rating: NN Rating: NN
The voice behind the Philosopher Kings and the fingers twiddling the knobs behind Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton delivers a solo debut as Jarvis Church that aims to be an eclectic pop album with a heavy reggae influence but comes off much less adventurous. Church’s obviously Marvin Gaye-inspired singing slips into modern-rock bellowing when he’s not in falsetto mode. The most interesting moments come on the more R&B-influenced tracks, like Fine Line and Forgive Me. Regrettably, though, most of the album’s beats sound dated and dull. While there are lots of interesting little noises and textures, few of the choruses actually stick in your head.
