Jae Laffer’s foray into the solo realm with his debut album ‘When the Iron Glows Red’ is right up there with his acclaim as frontman to Perth’s Aria award winning The Panics. Although, his name might not be familiar to some, few would fail to recognise his voice, as it is certainly distinctive and comparable with the likes of Paul Kelly.
The recognisable undertones in Laffer’s solo debut are akin to the Panics albums. Nevertheless, this album is also quite unique. This is as it lacks the instrumental musical grandness of the Panics album which reflects instead a more minimalist acoustic approach and relies only on light back-up instrumentation. This, no doubt, is a deliberate attempt at showcasing Laffer’s voice and lyrical talent. An exception here, is the use of the rising Saxophone on ‘Leaving on Time’, which has a rising climatic effect.
In many press releases and interviews for the launch of the album, Lafer has mentioned that the songs were written about characters and events that were living around the time, in order to keep the songs “fresh”. This is reflected in the opening track ‘Leave the Light On’ as it is a catchy track that will have you instantly wanting to hit replay. Whilst the initial reaction might be that the rest of the album cannot possibly compare to such a remarkable start, it surprisingly sets the right tone for an extraordinary album.
Laffer’s lyrical abilities shine through sublimely with lyrics such as “when I blew a kiss, it blew to dust” and “weighed down, just a shell, in a blanket of rust”. He explores the usual themes such as love and loss, but there is more to the songs than just that. What comes through is a sense of grief, from the opening track in which Laffer laments the loss of a physical and personal love to the closing track (and album title) ‘When the Iron Glows Red’. This is a reference to a blacksmith in Vietnam working at a dying tradition overrun by modern machines. Here, the lyrics are reflective of the sad undertones, “no one is knowing, and who are they to care, that I was here, but I was here”, but also shows that this album is really about chasing your dreams.
It is hard to find flaws in Jae Laffer’s album. The album does tend to lean towards the folksy realm, which is apparent in the track ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ with the distinct Dylan-esque harmonica (which I personally love). But even die hard folk haters would not fail to appreciate Laffer’s sublime lyrics and musical talent.
I highly recommend this album.
