“Lilith,” the fifth track in Jade Collective’s 2020 EP Cycles, is like a moving picture, full and lovely while bustling with slight, repetitive movements. From start to finish, its trajectory is horizontal, but that’s not to say it isn’t complete. It’s an atmosphere that breathes, floats, sways, and convinces me to do the same.
As a guitar enthusiast, my attention is automatically drawn to the layers of repetitive plucking on the acoustic guitar, played by Jan Esbra. Though the foundation Esbra forms is constantly shifting and rolling, it remains sturdy. The layers intertwine with the knolling bass and don’t overwhelm the lyrics, which float on top of the intricate web of instrumentals. Drummer Aaron Lawson truly shines in this piece, demonstrating incredible precision while providing a foothold for the guitars. Together, the musicians depict a lenticular scene that buzzes with life and anticipation as it rolls through the verse, crescendos through the bridge and falls into an upbeat waltz during the chorus. It’s a surprising shift, and keeps your ears on their toes, if you can picture that.
Though the lyrical melody, which I’m sure is inspired by Jade Collective’s roots in jazz, can be a bit hard to follow, I am comforted by its confident delivery of rather abstract intervals. It reads like poetry and glides over the instrumentals. It’s a melody that lingers, one that “walks through the house at night” like the ghostly intruder that Esler describes. The lyrics are dense, making “Lilith” sound more like prose and playing into the rolling motion of the song. With this aesthetic in mind, the whole piece feels a bit adrift, perhaps intentionally so, which can be perceived in lyrics such as, “Try to tell you my thoughts outright / but I stumbled around when the words fell into the light.” Her voice carries depth, but sounds directionless too. Despite the implication that the experience behind this song has left a lasting impression, Esler’s singing style remains stationary, and the message feels dimmed as a result.
All being said, “Lilith” is truly lovely in essence and presents different sensations for the listener to experience. It’s motorized yet organic; it’s like the cycle of nature, and resembles the turning of a wheel or the churning of a creek. It’s a beautiful and delicate atmosphere, an aesthetically-pleasing one, but little else. Because of my inability to find a deeper connection with this song, I seek comfort in observing its sense of direction. If still waters run deep, do bubbling creeks run shallow? Perhaps, but they both offer aesthetics one could learn to appreciate.
