I'm not quite sure why 18 year old multi-instrumentalist Jake Downs has had so little coverage - all the more so as his particularly splendid debut single, 'Seize The Water', was released earlier this month. His inspiring orchestral pop sound brings to mind the likes of Patrick Wolf, Owen Pallett and Beirut. Listen to the A-side and B-side, 'The Prince' below.
While 'Seize The Water' soars magnificently, 'The Prince' opts for a subtler approach - a more folk-influenced slice of introspective romantic pop. Jake's music is as much characterised by the orchestration as it is by his mesmerising vocals. As stripped back demo 'Pleasure Past' shows, Jake needs no studio trickery to deliver such impressive vocals, which draw easy comparison to the aforementioned Patrick Wolf.
All in all, we're surprised that Jake Downs hasn't made a bigger impact. But 'Seize The Water' is undoubtedly just the start for this exciting Devon talent. The single also has a rather nicely shot video, directed by Benjamin Leggett, which inexplicably has its embedding disabled. (UPDATE: No longer, hurrah!) Anyway, you can check it out on YouTube or simply listen to the track below.
'Seize The Water' is out now on Vox Humana. Find more info at jakedownsmusic.tumblr.com.
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