Postcards From Jeff

And Postcards From Jeff is the most complete, fully-formed new band I’ve heard for a long time – though what you’re really hearing is actually the result of 18 months hard work. Pronouncing like Leonard Cohen, with the tiniest hint of Bobby Gillespie occasionally rearing up (live at least anyway), singer Joss Worthington and his band hold forth with the poise, skill and confidence of a band selling out stadiums. That there’s a long way to go is an exciting prospect. Musically, they’re somewhere between the dreaminess of Mercury Rev and the vastness of some of Sigur Ros’ poppier stuff. Single ‘A House’, which has clocked up over 18,000 hits on Youtube in the past month or two, is greeted warmly, as is next single ‘Awake’, both from the eponymous début EP.
It’s a short set, more of a 45 minute teaser than anything else, but if this is Postcards from Jeff’s base level, they will have us in the stratosphere in no time at all, which is presumably where they want to take us. I’m on board! - Silent Radio

You know what I love most about Postcards from Jeff? The layered symphonic backdrop, reminiscent of New Order, paired with raspy vocals delivered in a way that Calvin Johnson would and raw, unflinching lyrics of Mark Kozalek. Wait, I guess that’s three things I love.

Somewhere poetry meets pop, electronica and folk dosado, film and reality collide and Postcards from Jeff takes all these inspirations and weaves them into new stories, new songs, new roads. The lovechild of Joss Worthington, who is a producer at Alien Boutique, Postcards from Jeff has released a debut EP that is both intriguing and boundless.

The first two tracks, A House and Awake are both sentimental and yet distant, like watching a beautiful black and white film from an era that is gone and yet, so dear to your heart. - Strawberry Tongue

Ever since I started inviting readers of this blog to send me their music, I've been sent a wide array of music from all over the world. From the atmospheric of hip-hop of Ceiling Demons to the sun-kissed reggae vibes of Dojo, I've been more than happy to try and spread the word about some brilliant underground musical talent. But one submission this week may have topped the lot. Postcards from Jeff's self-titled debut EP is a thing of beauty, underpinned by cinematic pop soundscapes and the wonderful voice of singer Joss Worthington.

Falling somewhere between Matt Berninger's baritone, Jason Pierce's hoarse vocals and the gravelly tones of Mark 'E' Everett, Worthington's voice seems strangely familiar yet entirely unique at the same time. It also seems to take from the best of Manchester contemporary Ian Brown's husky, comforting, 20-fags-a-day voice.

Musically, the EP is backed by an ever-changing array of instruments of sounds, with orchestral strings, pentatonic piano lines and processed guitars serving up anthemic and often dramatic sonic backgrounds. Remarkably, the accomplished sound of Postcards From Jeff is brought together entirely by Worthington, who plays, records and mixes everything himself. It's a heck of an achievement to bring so many influences into a cohesive piece of work, but the part-time producer has certainly managed it here.

It's kicked off by A House, an anthemic opener which sets the tone for the rest of the EP. Wandering synths soon give way to a backdrop of pounding drums and acoustic guitars, the familiarity of Worthington's voice a suitable accompaniment to his honest and homely lyrics. It's melancholic and one of the standout songs that I've heard so far this year. Veronica follows suit, the ode to a former lover laying bare the honesty of Worthington once more: I'm like a sick rabbit/in the mouth of a dog.

The supremely-titled Agoraphobic House Party ventures more into dream territory than pop, the relatively sparse arrangement of the song making for a clear midpoint to the EP. Despite its short length, Postcards From Jeff has been put together with the sort of care normally reserved for much larger projects, from the carefully-ordered tracklist to the fittingly cinematic videos for A House and latest single Awake. And it is Awake which is the glorious closing track. With a infectious piano line leading the charge into your eardrums, it has all the hallmarks of a great pop song. Skilfully put together and masterfully executed, it is symbolic of this release as a whole. - One Album A Week

Ah Manchester. I have some very fond memories of the city and some wonderful friends clutched close to its bosom. Joss Worthington is also from Manchester and he likes to produce records and then, in his spare time, create spacey, dreamy indie jangles under the guise of Postcards From Jeff in the comfort of his own home. And why not.

This unusually short EP (just three tracks) starts with 'A House' which has sumptuous layers of organs, a galloping rhythm and the kind of vocals that we've come to know and love from our Manchester bands and the likes of Bernard Sumner. Then comes a Flight Of The Conchords song title if ever I heard one in 'Agoraphobic House Party' which floats and weaves effortlessly through a field virtual corn like some graceful electronic bird soaking up the summer rays.

This could easily be the work of Gilbert or a live Lemon Jelly release such is the effortless blend between electronic melodies and organic songwriting. The final track of this mini trilogy is 'Awake' which, arguably, has a little more punch to it than the other two tracks but it is also undeniably filmic in approach and would be perfect for an American indie flick in the vein of Juno or basically anything else with Michael Cera in it. Joss is clearly a talented guy and I can't deny that he's caught my attention but I wouldn't mind seeing what he can do if he really goes for it as I think he could achieve something akin to what the Flaming Lips produce on a regular basis. Once again, well played Manchester. - Listen With Monger

I’ll level with you readers, I find social networking somewhat of a struggle. Over the past decade I’'e tried tuning in to MySpace; bounced in - and then quickly out again - of Bebo; poked around on Facebook; mixed in the refined circles of Google+; turned my nose up at Tumblr and lastly tried talking twaddle on Twitter. Inevitably though they all fall by the wayside because essentially I’m a bit of a dick! (Your most accurate review to date! - Ed) For normal, well-adjusted people however (like all you lovely folk), the world of communication has never offered so many avenues to explore; all of which, implausibly, you can hold the access point to, quite literally, in the palm of your hand - and it's a normal sized hand at that, not a big floppy foam finger type thing!

Yet for all the convenience and numerous merits of texting, tweeting, video chat or teleporting (roll out due late spring!) one thing new media has yet to railroad into redundancy is the intimacy - no, NOT the Snapchat variety - or sweetness of sentiment bundled up in receiving some good old fashioned personalised snail mail. The knowledge that someone has made time amongst the deluge of distractions a day throws in their path, to hand scrawl their thoughts on a letter or card destined for your fingers is a heart-warming, and on occasion, humbling pleasure, that would be a lamentable loss if consigned to the annals of human interaction.

Listening to debut single 'A House', it's tempting to wonder if it was this essence of meaningful connection that Manchester's Joss Worthington was deliberately aiming to foster when he adorned his one man project with the curiously emotive title Postcards From Jeff. To that end, if it was the motivation, then his gently drawled and nasal vocal style does little to throw his mission off course, lending itself ably to a wistful note that speaks of absent love and storms to be weathered. Don't however, take that to mean that this is a dreary or maudlin affair, because while Worthington may keep his singing lo-fi and unfussy, that only helps to draw attention to the way the remaining elements of the track glisten. Conga style drums pad out a back-beat and a piano plays its part from the margins, adequately ensuring ample space up front for a nautical harr of instruments to paint a swirling soundscape, one that comes off a little reminiscent of that spirited up by Filter when they were caught staring down the lens on 'Take A Picture'.

If 'A House' was a postcard, then you get the feeling it wouldn't be winging its way from a Bahamas beach with tales of cocktails and cavorting; nope this is a "wish you were here" sent with genuine affection from a tired and windswept seaside front one winter afternoon - and you know it's all the better for it. - The Sound Of Confusion

Postcards From Jeff is the newest project from English producer Joss Worthington.

Worthington’s style is best described as the music version of the movie Inception; layers upon layers upon layers. Dreamy, moody, thoughtful, and striking all at the same time. This music won’t just take you someplace; it takes you to a lot of places. A dreamy ride that gets inside of you in a good way.

Joss Worthington, who is a producer at Alien Boutique, created Postcards From Jeff in between his normal duties for other artists. The one man project is impressive in scope and clearly showcases Joss’ soft voice and his fine blending of drums, guitars and even pianos. This is a new type of dreampop, folks. Get on board, take a journey.

2014 is going to be the year of Postcards From Jeff. The young man from Manchester is releasing his first EP, Postcards From Jeff, on March 3. The self-titled effort was recorded in rural Yorkshire and is only the tip of the iceberg. Worthington has a full length album in the works as a follow up to his debut EP (no details available on a title or release date quite yet). - In Your Speakers