Jacob Rountree Reckons With the Nature of Understanding on ‘Definitions’

Albuquerque, New Mexico born and Spokane (Washington) raised singer songwriter Jacob Rountree broke on to the scene, showcasing his unique brand of introspective, percussion layered, indie rock on his 2018 debut LP 'The Common Hour'.

2022 saw the singer-songwriter  fine tuning this sound alongside his production chops across a handful of singles, culminating in the release of his most recent single, 'Definitions' a beautiful and poignant song about coming to understand and define the world around you through love.

The track fades in on a muted guitar pattern, shortly accompanied by an eerie synth and bass over a light kick and high-hats before the opening line comes in, "Strip is down to the atoms that are never shown / Turn it around to flesh and bone / Easy does it now, only love can hold things beyond control".

Percussive instrumentation punctuates the swirling ambience during and between each verse creating an expansive sonic texture while the lyrics paint an abstract picture of phasing into a transient state of thought.

As the track progresses through the second verse the percussive layering gets a lot heavier, transitioning from the auditory equivalent of a match to a trudge as we get into the latter verses that outline more specific examples of social defining markers that are sometimes inadequate at describe our current emotional states of mind with the lines, "Won't you lay with me and listen to me breathe, one with society / Prove your worth with a college degree". The track caps off with a swell of all the aforementioned musical and lyrical themes before fading out.

All in all, 'Definitions' is a very dynamic and large sounding track that juxtaposes the vastness of its musical space by lyrically pulling you into a work of reckoning with the varying ways in we which we define and think about love, life and death; making for an incredibly engaging and fun listen from start to finish.

Fans of acts like Ben Howard, Shakey Graves and Pink Floyd are sure to enjoy this record. 'Definitions' can be found on Rountree's new album: 'As I See It'.

Kenneth Butcher

@kazu_kb 

Image: 'Definitions' Official Single Cover