Superheaven | Photo by Sydney Schaefer for WXPN
Jake Clarke of Superheaven turns inward on new split with Spur
Jake Clarke has stepped away from the heaviness of his band Superheaven in favor for something more spacious, reflective and light, in the form of a six-track split EP with Wilkes-Barre band Spur. While this is by no means a collection of lighthearted songs, it’s definitely calming and contemplative, as opposed to Superheaven’s aggressive, guitar-heavy discography.
The titleless EP has sad undertones in the lyrics, and rhythmic, punchy guitars in the music. It’s a sort of EP of contradictions, but it all works so well. Clarke pushing the boundary between a light shoegaze in some of the musical aspects and indie / alternative in the lyrics and settling in this comfortable place somewhere in between. This is a nice change of pace for Clarke, and Spur’s influence is evident in the incorporation of distorted keys in tracks like “Falling.”
Tracks like “Falling” and “Yellow Gown” are endlessly catchy with their swaying choruses and rhyming but not-quite lyrical patterns. I had these songs on repeat while writing this and I noticed new things hidden in these songs each time they looped back around. Clarke is a great lyricist, capturing intricate and specific moments in the timeline of each song and making them feel universal to any listener. That’s a talent.
Stream Jake Clarke’s half of the split with Spur below, via Bandcamp.