[ALBUM REVIEW]Jon Bellion - FATHER FIGURE

ARTIST: Jon Bellion
ALBUM: FATHER FIGURE

Fathersaw??? Whatever…

A couple weeks ago I mentioned this new project by up and coming pop star Cil, and I called it potentially my favorite pop album of the year. Well, this new full length LP by another up and comer, Jon Bellion, might’ve already stolen that crown. And while I do consider this a pop album (mostly for simplicity’s sake), it is so much more than that.

Mr. Bellion weaves hip hop, R&B, indie rock, country, and touches of reggae and dance influences into a fusion of surprisingly well balanced and catchy tunes about his experiences in becoming a father for the first time. Not only does he carry an acute ear for blending these seemingly contradictory sounds, but Jon’s attention to mood setting in relation to his lyrical content may be the most impressive part of this production. At no point did this eccentricity derail the projects vibe or message, in fact the broad scope of sound and rhythm helped to stretch the boundaries of his expression to the fullest without breaking down completely.

And expression comes in droves here. Part of me thinks I could summarize this review with nothing but a list of excerpts from the record along with a final score and it would make perfect sense, but I’ll share a personal favorite that comes from the final track MY BOY: “I hate the weakness of owning up to the sins of past / I hate the weakness of givin' up what I used to have / I hate the weakness of showin' my son what makes me sad / He said a present father is worth way more than a perfect dad”.

Now, as a father myself, maybe the subject matter is a bit close to home for me. I could imagine a non-parent reading this with skepticism and squinted eyes. But this is more than goopy love songs and adornments for a child. From his unique experience as an Italian-American to his spiritual convictions and cautionary tales of the pitfalls of life, Jon treats this as more than a profession of love, he sees it as a guide book for his son realized through his lived experience, written as lessons, limericks and confessions of his own failures and shortcomings. It’s a bold and admirably vulnerable exposé of self realization.

I feel I should give more credence to the vocal performances specifically. As a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, Jon’s savant-like talents are on full display here. From spiritually enriched piano passages on songs like WASH2 to effortless backpack-style rap flows on ITALIA BREEZE, it seems Mr. Bellion can’t miss here… and those are his secondary skills. At the end of the day he is a singer first, with an impressive range and unique timbre that holds you in tension all the way up to the moment he hits his resolution… and those belted notes?! All I can say is I am envious of you Jon.

There are a couple of misses on the album. The interlude VINNY’S ARTICHOKES, while funny, is a very short and confusing segue from the rest of the project and probably could’ve been left off altogether. The Pharrell feature in the opening track HOROSCOPE is similarly out of place, giving a head scratching vibe shift to an otherwise beautiful and melodic piano ballad that, up until the feature, is one of the best musical compositions in the entire tracklist. But, aside from these gripes, the only songs that I genuinely didn’t love are the two I listed below. With 13 tracks plus one interlude, having 11 solid, enjoyable songs is no small feat. I dare say this record might be the closest I get to putting down a perfect score this year. Not only is this album a frontrunner for pop record of the year for me, but it’s highly possible this could end up as my album of the year when all is said and done. Bravo sir.

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