What kind of music would you expect a former US marine and drum corps member to produce? A stage name like Avid Dancer or the retro-inflected airy romanticism of “Stop Playing with My Heart” probably would not be the first thing to come to mind.
The sonic template that ex-marine Jacob Summers utilizes throughout his debut album 1st Bath (2015) – gentle vocals against a minimalist 60’s psychedelia-infused surf rock sonic template – indicates that he is not invested in creating a hypermasculine aesthetic defined by stoicism:
"This music represents my entire existence up to making this record. I wanted to really let people in, so I decided to paint the album title in my own blood. I actually jabbed myself until I got a big enough pool to write with. I mean, what could be more ‘me’? ... I realized the name matches what I’m doing musically. When we dance, we lose ourselves in it – we put ourselves out there and don’t give a fuck. I’m not a guitar player, not a singer – I’m just putting myself out there with this music.”
Jacob Summers, Grand Jury
“Stop Playing with My Heart”, the first song that Summers shared with the public in 2013, shares some similarities with Cigarettes After Sex’s general aesthetic with its intimate, confessional lyricism and smoky, soulful retro-leaning instrumentation:
'You're the only one
All the others are gone
Want to know your name
And are you feeling the same?
I just want to be where you are
Try so hard and find no place to start
I just want to be where you are
So help me
Stop playing with my heart
Stop playing with my heart'
Lyrics: Genius
The song may not be particularly innovative or distinctive in terms of form (which is not actually necessary, given the universality/ahistoricity of its content), but it is undeniably well-crafted. The general sonic familiarity and earnestness is highly reassuring and comforting – the perfect antidote to a long, trying day.
