Al Heaney of Chicago’s Jungle Green has ventured out on a new solo project, Essential Forever, playing the character of a forgotten, bargain bin crooner who was the best songwriter you never heard of. No pressure. The project pays homage to 60s pop stylings — a simpler time, for music at least — but reminds us of how evergreen that era was. To put in a (slightly) more modern context, if Father John Misty, The Beatles, and Kyle Craft were co-writers on an album, this is what you could expect it to sound like.
Heaney’s voice fits in seamlessly in the sepia toned daydream the instrumentation paints. And while this is a modernization, the subject matter remains timeless — falling in love. Heaney had said, “I wanted to write songs that can help people fall in love a hundred times over,” and with There’s A Lot Still To Say, he has accomplished just that. With this record, Heaney’s “character” and take on this era should, for all intents and purposes, break their unlucky streak and stand the test of time. Whether it is rescuing you from the brutal winter that has overstayed its welcome, embracing spring and new romance in the air, or reminding you of just how delicious life and love can be, There’s A Lot Still To Say is much needed escapism.
