When experimental music crosses into the pop mainstream, crazy things are bound to happen. New styles emerge, new sounds become trendy, and the music landscape changes, usually for the better. As an indie artist, Jay Elle crosses into this pop world with his latest single “Miss Mess”, we are left wondering if the mainstream can handle this almost quirky perspective on how popular music should be shaped. From his widely popular and successful album, Ride The Wave, “Miss Mess” utilizes diverse instrumentation, nontraditional funk, and clever metaphor to deliver an intriguing look at the subject matter he dubs, “Miss Mess.”
“Miss; I’ve got it all, Miss; I never take the fall, always gone AWOL, always got me chasing my own tail.”
What makes this pop offering so unique is the absence of a traditional drum kit, while the main snare is complimented with a xylophone sample, giving the high-end end a punch which resonates throughout the track. This track is also quite interesting as the chorus melodies are not punched forward like a traditional pop song would, instead he levels the mix into the same frequency range allowing it to meld
with the rest of the track.
Although I have been listening to Ride The Wave for some time this year, “Miss Mess” is still one of the stand-out tracks from it, and an excellent choice to be released as a featured single. The production of this track is well-executed as the complex arrangements are blended in such a way that each instrument sits in its own frequency range while complimenting the neighboring overtones. As we approach looser
restrictions with live performances, I can hope to find Jay Elle performing “Miss Mess” to actually be able to come to grips with how he envisions this song to be played live. As an accomplished guitar player, “Miss Mess” lends on other sounds and textures to create this feel, I believe he will dazzle us as he has on record.
–Lee Callaghan
