Jay Reatard Watch Me Fall Review

General Information:

Artist: Jay Reatard
Album: Watch Me Fall
Genre(s): Rock
Subgenres(s): Garage Rock
Released: 2009
Length: 32 minutes
Language(s): English
Label(s): Matador Records

Track List:

01. It Ain’t Gonna Save Me
02. Before I Was Caught
03. Man of Steel
04. Can’t Do it Anymore
05. Faking It
06. I’m Watching You
07. Wounded
08. Rotten Mind
09. Nothing Now
10. My Reality
11. Hang Them All
12. There is No Sun

Watch Me Fall is the second and final album solo album of the late Jay Reatard. Consisting of rough cut garage rock anthems, he carefully blends it together with contrasting pop sensibilities and bleak lyricism that focuses on angst, depression and apathy.

Most of Watch Me Fall is centred on fuzzy guitar hooks and Jay Reatard’s under produced echo-laden voice, which actually compliments the sound rather than hindering it. Between the jagged guitar work there are some songs in which he flex his sonic pallet. I’m Watching You is the closest that you’ll get to a ballad as he brings the acoustic guitar, keyboard and organ to the front while Wounded favours the acoustic guitar and an overly sweet wordless chorus.

Still within the realms of rock music, another interesting development is found on My Reality when it channels brief climatic build ups and the post rock sound of Explosions in the Sky. Whether this is a case of independent invention or not, we will never know. The album closes with There is No Sun, a grim premonition of Jay Reatards own untimely death if there ever was one.

Watch Me Fall is the perfect blend of bleak lyricism, pop sensibilities and the garage rock aesthetic which have secured Jay Reatard a well-earned legacy.

Performers:

Jay Reatard: Vocals, Guitar
Stephen Pope: Bass guitar
Billy Hayes: Drums

External Links:

Jay Reatard Homepage
Jay Reatard on Wikipedia | Watch Me Fall on Wikipedia
Jay Reatard on Discogs | Watch Me Fall on Discogs