Full disclosure, Stone Jack Jones is releasing Black Snake via yk Records, also operated by the same folks that run WOTT.
For those not familiar, Stone Jack Jones is a bit of a mysterious troubadour traveling through the alt-folk scene. His voice has a distinct gravel that carries a melancholic weight and his songs are often sparse and dark. Jones is preparing to release his fifth album, Black Snake, and has released a handful of singles that reveal a somewhat different musical take.
“I’m Gone” is the third single from the forthcoming record and exemplary in this new approach. A more fully fleshed set of instrumentation slowly reveals itself through the course of the introduction; rumbling drums, haunting guitar and a remorseful piano line make way before the trumpets come in. Lyrically, Jones sings of the departed and his own departure; a subject matter his voice seems best fit for.
The accompanying video boosts the haunting nature of the whole thing to another level. Filled with rippling lakes, reflections (literal and metaphorical) and an empty forest filled with either masked marauders or interloping spirits. The story itself is vague but the intent is clear; there are mysterious forces around us. I’m biased (see disclaimer above) but it’s a rather gorgeous piece of work that leans hard into the deep black-and-white motif and succeeds in every single shot.
Black Snake is a hypnotic record and we hope to go into more depth on that later but, for now, spend some contemplative time with “I’m Gone.”