Jacob, Avi
Surrender
Providence-based Avi Jacob holed up in a barn in the Catskill Mountains in the dead of winter with The Felice Brothers whose influence through an organ flourish, a touch of accordion, coax spacious, poignant moments on Surrender. Combining folk sensibilities with classic soul, in the vein of Alabama Shakes or Ray Lamontagne, Jacobs EP is influenced equally by South Carolina, where he spent most of the past decade, and the Northeast where he spent his formative years. Its a plainly self-reflective piece, not trying to impose itself but rather to bring his listeners along for this journey. "My first memories, all my memories, are of feeling completely isolated, sad and alone", says Jacob. Instead of retreating into himself, Jacob uses the vulnerability of songwriting as a therapeutic form, for himself and for others.