- Jay L belongs to one of Bristol's most low-key crews, FallingUp, alongside Andy Mac and Typesun. He's nonetheless responsible for one of the finest singles to come from the city's house wave: 2012's "Try Slung," a Detroit deep house number whose sunkissed simplicity was perfectly judged. Jay's long overdue return to BRSTL is a little less dazzling. The arrangements are more refined, and the mood, in classic FallingUp style, is humble to a fault. Nonetheless, it contains a pair of pleasant deep house soaks.
"Blue Age" is all about the gently compulsive swing that animates its toy-like percussion. Crisp snares and hi-hats scuff against easy-chair Rhodes chords, generating a charm disproportionate to the subdued mood. "Show Me" is spicier, as pistoning hi-hats give it a welcome energy boost. Its Rhodes figures climb tirelessly up and down the chromatic ladder, before fizzing out prettily in the breakdown. When the whole thing snaps back into focus, the synths are different and fractionally steelier—a subtle sleight of hand, but an effective one.
TracklistA Show Me
B Blue Age