Jon Stancer - In Light Of

by Kevin Wierzbicki

Singer/songwriter Stancer has a very gentle, calm style of singing but he tackles some pretty heavy topics on this six-song EP. "This Cannot Wait (Until Tomorrow)" for example, is about the urgent need for action to counter climate change but there is no preaching or no palpable anger in his vocal delivery. That's kind of Stancer's superpower; he has the ability to get a message across with subtlety as opposed to presenting protest songs, so fans can just enjoy his musical arrangements if they're not ready to hear the word at the time. And the music is just as thoughtfully crafted as the lyrics; "A Few Degrees of Adjustment," about the impending failure of a marriage, is a proggy, paisley-tinged pop rocker that reminds of Gerry Rafferty while the understated "Scared Off" is about mental illness and the hope that the one affected will come back to reality. "One Six" is about the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, and while there are elements of discord in the instrumentation and vocal delivery, it is once again done with such aplomb that the cut will not be pigeonholed to a certain point in time. This fine EP will please those who know of Stancer's work with John Southworth and with Family Ritual and will likely garner Stancer a bunch of new fans as well.

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