JayWood - “Just Sayin”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Cautious Clay, Dominic Fike, Devon Gilfillian

Canadian artist JayWood released his sophomore record Slingshot last year and it’s a record that displays clear growth for the soul/rock/rap/jazz fusion sound that he’s been reaching towards since note one. Balancing classic grooves and experimental reaches, JayWood has crafted a work that in interesting and progressive without losing a core sound. Pop-R&B melodies are filtered through JayWood’s innovative lens and spread out in diverse ways across Slingshot, resulting a record that is both a dancer and a thinker all at once. While complex in its parts, JayWood expertly make it all sound easy on Slingshot, an artist pushing boundaries while still under most radars. Maybe SXSW will change those winds and draw more ears to experience JayWood’s unique contributions. (Kevin McStravick)

2022 Review: Mixing indie rock and R&B forms, JayWood presents a complex yet catchy sound on his latest EP Some Days, a woozy, traveling song-set of head-turning groovers. Quick, jazz-infused guitar lines power much of these tracks, formed with math-rock precision, but played over groove-oriented bass and percussion. Add in JayWood’s melancholy R&B tone and the result is unique and full, formed reflections of dream pop vibes in a relatively jammy way. That said, this music is tight and the display of musicianship is a big reason why JayWood stands apart from his chillwave-leaning indie rock peers.