By Morgan Rousseau
City-based alternative rock band Jolly recently took to the studio to record 46 minutes 12 seconds of ambient, emotionally powerful music. Feeling the music spoke for itself, they opted to keep it simple and call it what it was.
“Forty-Six Minutes, Twelve Seconds of Music,” the band’s debut, full-length album, was released July 28, by Galileo/Progrock Records.
“We really felt the music had a powerful presence in its own, so to just title this album as its music was sufficient,” drummer Louis Abramson said.
Recorded in Rockaway Beach, the album features haunting vocals set to an atmosphere that evokes feelings of love and loss. Abramson’s drumming punctuates the thick stream of consciousness instrumentation, adding definition to many of the tracks. He said he and his bandmates bring four different dimensions to their songs.
“All of us come from a wide range of musical backgrounds, and we wanted something that was original without making one specific genre,” Abramson said of the album.
Jolly’s primary goal is to create music that will intrigue avid listeners without compromising accessibility. “46:12” achieves this goal, as it is an absorbing listen that is easily understood by the keen listener.
“The album lyrically and musically is a strange journey. There’s a big theme of love and loss throughout the album,” guitarist and vocalist Anadale said.
The album has the flow of a journey as all nine tracks run into each other.
Each song is connected to the one before and the one after. For listeners who love settling into their music and giving it a deep and appreciative listen, this technique is useful. It aides in transitioning between the rise and fall of emotions throughout “46:12.”
Astoria resident and bassist Anthony Rondinone is a fairly new addition to the band, having joined in early summer 2009.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be in a band like this. It incorporates all the styles that I like — it has a progressive rock sound and an ambient ‘spacey’ sound,” Rondinone said.
Keyboardist Joe Reilly has been influenced by mellow rock, citing Pink Floyd as an influence on his musical style.
“We put everything together. We’ve gone through numerous experiences and we’ve developed our own characters,” Reilly said of their versatile sound.
Anadale says he and his band members never limit their creativity. This can be seen in the band’s use of binaural tones, which adds a unique dimension to the album.
Binaural tones are two slightly offset frequencies played simultaneously in stereo. They have been embedded throughout “46:12.” The purpose of the tones is to create a perceived third “phantom tone” that alters the brain’s natural frequency. The result is known to change the listener’s state of consciousness. Some scientific documentation suggests results such as increased energy, prolonged happiness and reduced stress levels.
“It’s something that’s been gaining popularity over the Internet and iPhone applications. I kept reading about it, wondering if it was possible to combine it with rock music,” Anadale said, then describing the technique as “one tone in one ear, one tone in another ear.”
Some of Jolly’s influences include the bands Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Meshuggah and Tool, among many others. The band also looks to somewhat unconventional inspirations to help guide their music.
“In addition to specific artists influencing us, we use a lot of films, circus and Tim Burton movies thrown into the mix,” Reilly said.
Their debut EP, “The Revolutionary Cult Demo Finally Hits the US” (2008), features three songs showcasing the vision that Jolly has set out to achieve. Abramson describes the EP as a snapshot of the bands infancy.
“We began recording and writing and wanted to release something quick. We didn’t want to wait until the full album was done, so we released the EP and got great feedback,” Abramson said. As “46:12” progressed, the band touched up the three songs from the EP.
“We could hear ourselves grow. Now the full-length album is our snapshot of where Jolly is right now. If you listen to the album, you can hear so many changes,” Abramson said.
As far as they are concerned, Jolly has no plans of slowing down. They anticipate another album this coming winter. According to Abramson, the Jolly boys are proud of “46:12” and cannot wait to make another album.
Jolly often plays city venues. Some upcoming shows include The Charleston in Brooklyn (Aug. 3), Coco 66 in Brooklyn (Aug. 20) and Arlene’s Grocery in Lower Manhattan (Aug. 22). They are also hoping to book a tour in the near future.
For a full listing of their shows or to purchase their music and other band merchandise, visit myspace.com/jollyband or jollyband.com.
