I will never tire of the thrill of watching an act in my backyard gain traction. Wider recognition for a band I’ve followed since their early days makes me feel like I’m a part of their story. At the ripe old age of nearly 35 (I know, I know! That isn’t old) its reassuring to me when I can still feel that. That means the novelty of music discovery and connection isn’t something that’s limited to your teenage years.

Jady understands all of the above and seems destined to be the next breakout act of Columbus.

It seems like not too long ago we were writing about their debut full length The Haze. Napalm finds the duo really coming into their own and planting their flag into the ground. In the title track and album opener, the duo unabashedly expresses their desire to find purpose and dive into their calling: So if you are the fire, then cover me in napalm.

The overall sound of the record is one that is familiar. Yet, it feels fresh for the mere fact that it’s thrilling to listen to. The snooty music journalist in me wants to do a deeper dive into that sentiment. But, I can’t. Sometimes things are just fun. Discovering your calling is something Jady WANTS you to have fun doing.

Another favorite track on the album is another advance single. “Envious” has a hook that WILL entrench itself into the tendrils of your brain matter. It asks a question that is ages old in its chorus, going back to Scripture even.

If everyone is sick, am I sick in the head
For craving every toxin that’s killin’ ’em dead?
I’m crawling out the pit just to fall back again
Why am I feeling envious?
Why am I feeling envious?

Why do dogs return to their vomit? Why do people do not what they know they should but do what they know they shouldn’t? Some guy named Paul asked that question once…

It’s about at this point in my review writing that I wish I had requested a complete copy of the lyrics (Genius only takes you so far before the record is out…). There are many reasons for this, but in particular an album trailer I came across on the band’s TikTok made me forget where I was for a minute and made me think I was watching a preview of the latest spooky miniseries on Netflix. Watch it below:

The album is at its best when it leans into the darkness a little bit. Perhaps its the time of year, but I appreciate when my pop songs have a bit of menace in them. The trio of “Napalm,” “Wallow,” and “Ghostman” form a thrilling blend that gets my heart pumping. Once we slide into the track “Skinwalker,” the creep factor is still there but it’s admittedly hard for me to not draw comparisons to other acts. Simply put, at moments during the record there are times where I find myself making comparisons and other times when the power of the song makes me too in the moment to do that.

If Jady shines best in the darkness, the band also shines in moments where the song is a little more vulnerable. It’s the middle of the road, not quite menacing, not quite intimate songs where I personally struggle to be engaged a bit more. This isn’t to say this won’t change over time. At first, I couldn’t stand the song “Migraine” by twenty one pilots and later on it became a live favorite of mine.

Hopefully I said enough to intrigue you a bit more about what’s going on with this duo. If not – here’s my Tuned Up failsafe: “Dead Flowers,” the sixth track, immediately makes me think of Mutemath. If you didn’t know I like to insert Mutemath name drops into my reviews – well, now you know!

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