BMA single review by Vince Leigh
The COVID-19 pandemic’s aftereffects are numerous and broad in scope.
Yet, there is a prevailing thread when attempting to list these, and it relates to remoteness and isolation and acceleration and acceptance of a more digitally based reliance and existence. But what of the emotional impacts? And if not the immediate kind but those that might linger?
Australian music artist newcomer Jaxon Reid has just released Breaking, a minimalist yet melodically spacious track that makes good use of his vocal skills—his agile handling of all those high flurries are noted—and incorporates with suitable emotional heat and focus a direct interpretation of the trials of surviving the pandemic.
As Jaxon recalls, ‘Breaking is about the story of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. Living in Victoria at the time, it was quite brutal what everyone went through. I normally had a very busy life with lots of sport and social activities with friends, so it was really hard to be locked down.’
Everyone had a story;
I had friends that were really struggling; you heard stories on the news of domestic violence, medical staff were at breaking point. Nobody was left untouched. Music became my saviour during this time, so my dad and I wrote Breaking.’
We’re all familiar with the dread the pandemic provoked, and if there were any lessons from it all, it was that coping mechanisms could vary in degree and efficacy. Music (and entertainment in general, as evidenced by the rapid adoption of streaming services during the pandemic) might be just the right therapy for some.
With Breaking, Jaxon has perhaps not only found a method of dealing with that experience of dread but managed to invoke a melodic unpacking of it whose choices straddle that fine line between familiar and distinct in persuasive ways. No doubt, a YouTube presence with 100,000 views suggests that Jaxon is ready to expand his reach, and Breaking provides a satisfyingly semi-anthemic experience to which others will connect, helping with that transformation.
You can hear this track on Spotify or Apple Music
