Chameleon Rock

posted in: Artist Features • Pop • Rock

On his song Cover Up, Jeffrey James declares himself, Such a chameleon, always changing my skin. It’s no empty claim. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Nashville is a bit of a sonic shape-shifter. On Always the Same, he keeps it mellow, sounding like a cross between John Mayer and Jack Johnson sans surf board. It’s a friendly little pop melody that ambles along with bright horns and breezy guitars. Just Like Breathing, with its shaken percussion, has a decidedly jazzier feel. Then there’s Cover Up, a high voltage rocker with distorted guitars and trembling organs, with the fine-grain sandpaper scratch of James’ vocals giving the electricity an extra snap. But, if we had to pick, we’d choose Trouble as our favorite of James’ many melodic skins. The up-tempo, blues rocker is sexy, soulful and full of swagger. He may molt a little in the years to come, but here’s hoping James doesn’t shed any of the ‘tude.