The Belle Jar
Denver, Colorado, United States | SELF
Music
Press
With sultry melodies and a barrage of instrumentation, The Belle Jar has released the most interesting Denver Americana album so far this year. Recorded in “a combination of houses, churches and hotel rooms over the course of two years” Fall Systems Go is worth every minute of those two years. Songwriter Ryan James weaves together a myriad of sounds from Tom Petty rockers to somber Wilco down tempo tunes. Lyrically, The Belle Jar covers a lot of ground.
James arranges a melodic banjo-accordion-piano threeway on “Anne Marie”. But he can also use his powerful, engaging voice to soar through chunky rockers like “Coney Island Day”. The harmonies fold together nicely, most notably on songs like “Prada, W. Texas”, and give the album a Jayhawks feel. The bubbly layers on “Big Black World” make even the most stone blooded listeners tap their toes and bob their heads. Fall Systems Go is an intricate, gorgeous album that unearths new pieces with every listen.
James is a one man musical ensemble who takes the reins on acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, ukulele, accordion, drums, Wurlitzer and on top of that he sings and writes all the parts too. But he’s not content being a one-man band. Ryan James of The Belle Jar is one of Denver’s outstanding musicians, a true gem who’s found the perfect musical canvas for his non-stop desire to progress as a songwriter.
You can hear the entire album, Fall Systems Go, at www.facebook.com/TheBelleJarMusic. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to see him live. - G to C Magazine
Presumably because there is no shortage of prominent Ryans making music these days, Ryan James decided to record his indie-folk debut under a moniker inspired by a Sylvia Plath novel. Although he has recruited a band since the release of Fall Systems Go, here he handles all the vocals and plays every instrument on the album, from guitars, pedal steel and banjo to keyboards and percussion. With that in mind, it's not surprising that the album was two years in the making, recorded in houses, churches and hotel rooms. Nearly every one of the thirteen tracks on Fall Systems Go feels deliberate and labored over. Taking a few cues from Iron & Wine, especially on cuts like "The Gold Rush Crowd" and "Solitaire Song," and Wilco on "Here in California," James displays a knack for writing heartfelt ballads while still managing to rock out on tracks like "Coney Island Day." - Westword
Discography
Fall Systems Go
Photos
Bio
The Belle Jar has hit the ground running since the five members converged in Denver from musically rich places like L.A., Texas, Chicago and Minnesota. This diversity fuels the catchy folk rock songs of lead singer Ryan James. He recorded Fall Systems Go over a period of two years in various houses, churches, hotels and basements. On the album, he plays every instrument and sings every harmony. Not bad for someone who didn’t even play music until college.
Ryan has surrounded himself with a handful of inventive Denver transplants including Matthew Vermillion on bass guitar and vocal harmonies, Courtney Wilson on accordion, violin and piano, Andy Rex on guitar and JJ Chamberlain on drums.
G to C Magazine called Fall Systems Go “an intricate, gorgeous album that unearths new pieces with every listen.” Westword (Denver’s Village Voice) said, “James displays a knack for writing heartfelt ballads while still managing to rock out.” The Belle Jar has been in regular radio rotation on NPR’s OpenAir Colorado. The live shows are a bit of a departure from the album. They’re an upbeat, energetic, folk dance party. Just try to leave a show without one of their sticky melodies in your head. Go ahead. We dare you.
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