Jonathon Zemek – Everything Will Change

Jonathon Zemek – Everything Will Change

YANDEX: https://music.yandex.ua/album/5578154

“Everything Will Change” from Austin, Texas based guitarist and songwriter Jonathon Zemek comes from his new solo effort Hillcrest, an ambitious project billed as a rock opera and accompanied by its own comic book adaptation. It begins with some muscular hard rock riffing and a bulldozer rhythm section attack before guest singer Guy Forsyth’s entrance. His voice sends the song into another realm entirely and it’s easy to hear why Zemek wanted to work with him on this particular song – his ability to capture an epic cinematic quality yet maintain a consistent bluesy yowl is impressive. Zemek keeps the song’s guitar attack relatively uncluttered but wisely ornaments the main line of his guitar work with an assortment of stylish flourishes.

The song’s structure shows off a clear grasp of the genre while still never following things along in a solidly predictable pattern. The chorus and bridge are, arguably, the strongest contrasts in the song and stylistic departures of a sort that, nonetheless, never prove jarring. The bridge is particularly effective because it stands in such workable contrast to the rest of the song employing post-production effects and a wildly different vocal style we don’t hear elsewhere. Zemek’s guitar work takes on a melodic, lightly psychedelic hue for this section, but the mood much the same. There’s some straight forward variations on the song’s tempo coming late in the tune that gives the ending more impact.

Guy Forsyth’s guest vocal on “Everything Will Change” is the crowning touch of the single. He bring a rich, varied presence to the lyrics and overall sound that deepens Zemek’s aims for the song. It’s impressive to hear him segue seamlessly from a full throated peak into gravel and grit without missing a single beat, but he’s far from merely a set of big pipes. He makes every effort to invest the words with meaning and emotional impact succeeding more often than not. He makes for an excellent pair with Zemek’s guitar work and will definitely earn a lot of attention from serious and casual listeners alike, especially for his performance during the song’s bridge.

Listeners have to wait until September 21^st for the full album to hit, but “Everything Will Change” is a fantastic early listen to the music awaiting us on Hillcrest. Zemek’s local renown as a songwriter for the Austin band Soul Track Mind and a tireless advocate for other musicians/songwriters will grow exponentially if the remainder of the album proves the single’s equal or greater. “Everything Will Change” harkens back, in a sense, to when serious musicians aimed for lasting achievements in a hard rock vein, but it has urgency and a punchy modern sound certain to garner attention. Jonathon Zemek’s new solo work is the sound of a musician/songwriter gaining speed and rapidly expanding his artistic reach while maintaining a strong community of like-minded musicians around him to serve mutual goals.

ANGHAMI: https://play.anghami.com/song/38964862

Michael Rand