Jacob Kinniburgh’s one man project Content debuts with a five-song self-titled EP. When we say “one man”, let’s be clear – Kinniburgh is the project’s songwriting engine, but several musicians make their presence felt on this release. The Australian singer/songwriter purports to be far from content, but it’s difficult for me to imagine he isn’t pleased with the progress he’s made with his chosen art. This brief but confident collection doesn’t play like your standard first offering; Each of the EP’s five tracks brims with seemingly unshakable confidence within – he communicates the sense that he knows exactly what he wants to say and how he wants to phrase his music and message.
“Lantern” opens the EP on a note of longing. His longing has several different “colors” in these lyrics, he keeps things intriguingly oblique while saying just enough to hook us in, and the emotional weather of the lyrics veers between several extremes without ever seeming overwrought. The flash of poetry Kinniburgh brings into the words is welcome as well. The jazzy bass line of “Coming for You”, its small chorus of supporting voices behind Kinniburgh’s lead vocal, and jagged guitar work blend into an improbable yet impactful concoction.
Its arrangement shifts gears multiple times during the song. The transitions are successful despite their often somewhat abrupt execution; Content takes one hundred eighty degree turns without much in the way of “warning”. It’s a testament to Kinniburgh’s songwriting acumen that it works so well. The haunting chorus is the highlight of the song for me. “Inside” illustrates the wandering nature of his muse; much of the song’s first half is guided by a quasi-reggae sensibility. Content cannot resist peppering those changes with idiosyncratic touches and the second half of the track riffs on those initial ideas in memorable fashion.
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It is difficult to pin this music down. You think you hear things, but as soon as you start to grasp a frame of reference for what Kinniburgh’s doing, he’ll throw an extra curve into the track that causes you to reconsider. “Milk and Honey” has a much more traditional and straight-ahead vibe than other tracks included on the EP but that doesn’t mean it’s paint by numbers. It’s always interesting to hear how Content riffs so fluently on multiple styles without ever mishmashing their tracks into meaningless drivel. The vocal arrangement for this song is, without a doubt, the EP’s best.
“Just the Day” ends Content’s debut on a high note. The deliberate, almost hesitant opening soon develops into a relaxed and moody piece with several peaks built into the performance. Pay attention and you’ll hear some moments of genuine humor during the song and it’s another example of Content incorporating keyboards, organ in particular, without dating the sound. It ends the EP with a dazzling final display of Content’s talents for arranging vocals.
Jacob Kinniburgh can take his music anywhere he likes from here. Content’s first release provides him with an ideal springboard for him to take his songwriting and music in any direction he likes. He already boasts an artfulness that’s elastic, deep, and often supported by odd yet oddly familiar melodies. He writes about everyday life with individual flair that few newcomers offer.
Chadwick Easton