Jacksonport - “Dusted Beauty”

Los Angeles-based John Fatum, aka Jacksonport, invited his good friends to record a collection of songs with him and the result is astounding, as you will see once you press play on “Dusted Beauty.” This is the first track from the album of the same name and the magical part is that, no matter how or where you listen, you will catch the warm and creamy vibes of vinyl.

As soon as “Dusted Beauty” begins, it becomes abundantly clear that the song has been crafted by the skilled hands of musicians who know their way around a recording studio. The saturation is thick and flows into your ears as though it is being poured straight out of a time capsule from the late ‘60s. The fretless bass is partly responsible for this, as it tenderly wraps itself around the gentle percussion, setting the song’s sturdy foundation. This kind of magic is generally only possible via analogue gear, and there are otherwise no hints or relics that point to the use any sort of software.

Once the vocals arrive, you will experience the element that pushed this one over the edge for us. Fatum’s voice is very familiar in tone and one of the best we’ve heard in quite some time. You immediately trust him to tell the truth and therefore believe every single word of his storytelling. Most of the lyrics seem as though they are comprised primarily by way of stream-of-consciousness, yet they are so eloquently delivered that Fatum could be reading a take-out menu and we would still believe this to be one of the greatest retro-tinged, folksy throwbacks that we’ve heard all year.

It’s safe to say that if “Dusted Beauty” is any indication of what the rest of the album will contain, this will most assuredly not be the last time we feature Jacksonport on the blog.

-HD