EP Review: Jake Meadows ft. Daniel Johns ‘Good Company’

Good news for Silverchair fans – Sydney multi-instrumentalist Jake Meadows is bringing Daniel Johns and his vocal charisma back into your world through their collaborative EP ‘Good Company’. Featuring only five tracks, it’s the perfect length to squeeze into your lunch break and just the right blend of emotional and synthetic to stick in your mind.

Dreamy, Western-style sliding guitar starts opening track Gossip on a bender, interspersed with bursts of glassy synthesiser. As the modern production kicks in, Johns’ vocals steal the spotlight, leading into a pleasantly surprising and impressively smooth falsetto in the prechorus. Pure, gentle, and effortless, it’s everything Silverchair fans grew to love and expect from the vocal powerhouse. The chorus follows suit, highlighting the contrast of Johns’ emotional, flamboyant falsetto against a psychedelic guitar melody. A sauntering beat, complex vocal harmonies, and touches of extra production finish an intricate tune with energetic drive.

The chorus of Gossip highlights the contrast of Johns’ emotional, flamboyant falsetto against a psychedelic guitar melody.

Combining a throbbing beat, disco-style shaker rhythm, and playful, tinny melody, Lost Entitlement gets off to an intriguing start and leads seamlessly into a warm disco vibe. Minimal instrumentation in the verses allows Johns’ distinctive vocals to shine through, layered with fresh harmonies and tasteful production. Busy production develops the chorus into a dance track reminiscent of Empire of the Sun, a stark contrast to the bare breakdown. With an energetic, throbbing beat as the track’s only constant feature, Meadows skilfully weaves a variety of influences together to yield another catchy dance number.

Opening to stripped back instrumentation and subtle production, Echo of Tomorrow develops into the most accessible of the EP’s five tracks. Restrained instrumentation and soft touches of production make for a soothing start, featuring irresistibly modern synthesiser melodies reminiscent of English songstress Lapsley. Once again, the raw intimacy of Johns’ deep vocals is a highlight throughout the song, a testament to Meadows’ modest, discerning production style.

Thick, crunchy vocal harmonies flow through Come On Over, overruling the unpredictability of the angular, cinematic instrumentation.

Showcasing a style reminiscent of Chet Faker and Disclosure, Good Company is like the musical embodiment of a meditative aura. Sparse production and echoing vocals characterise this delicate tune, while slight bends in pitch make it difficult to predict the track’s next turn. Good Company is like a rotating kaleidoscope of muted colours and fluttering synthesiser melodies spliced with a moody alt-pop tune.

If ever you find yourself longing for a dose of early 2000s R’n’B with a modern twist, the slick production and sultry vocals of Come On Over will leave you feeling satisfied. Thick, crunchy vocal harmonies flow through the track, overruling the unpredictability of the angular, cinematic instrumentation. What starts off as a shimmering, melodic synth-driven track is instantly transformed into a modern RnB number with the addition of a strong, steady beat, the perfect accompaniment to Johns’ charismatic vocal performance.

Ultimately, Meadows’ tasteful production makes ‘Good Company’ for Johns’ vocals throughout their intriguing collaborative project. Check out the Lost Entitlement music video below!