_{By Mitch Tousley}

Formed in 2016 from a group of students in the Timpview High School Jazz band, Jumpmonk has been one of the most consistently high-quality and well-loved bands in the Provo scene. Not one to oversaturate the scene with constant releases, incessant concert announcements and bombardings of Instagram posts, Jumpmonk has made sporadic but high quality content the name of their game. The Reprise EP is no exception, giving us all that we’ve come to love from Jumpmonk in a digestible 4-song project.

I first saw Jumpmonk last fall at an A-Frame concert at the Maxfield home. Before their set began, Andrew Maxfield shared an anecdote about when he first learned about Jumpmonk, praising them for their musical craft, likening them to acts like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind and Fire. Andrew expressed relief for finding something in Provo that was technical without being alienating, that had grooves both intricate and accessible, and was young and passionate. These descriptions I find apt and succinct, and their following performance lived up to the praise Andrew Maxfield gave the band.

These traits are all over Reprise, which opens with its titular track. This opener is an instrumental number that features entrancing electronic piano chords and a saturated drum part that pushes through the syncopated keys and guitar parts. It’s an excellent tone setter for the rest of the project.

The stand-out track is the second track, “Sentimental,” which begins with a pulsing kick and retro-futuristic sounding synth strings. Washed out, watery vocals enter with lyrics about the difficulty of remaining present and in the moment, along with warm keys and bass. Throughout the song, most of the instruments seem to have some kind of modular effect which, when doubled with reverb and delay, give the whole track an underwater, other-worldly sound. This song features incredibly catchy hooks, masterfully arranged synths, and what can only be described as one of the tastiest guitar solos to come out of Utah ever. Much like the opening track was a perfect summary of the EP, “Sentimental” serves as a great summary of what Jumpmonk is all about. Technicality meets tunefulness, which is what any great fusion or neo-soul act is able to pull off.

The following song, “Who I Was,” starts off softer, but the grooves and melodies are no less impactful. The song also features a warm and relaxed verse from Liawe, and an excellent brass part in the latter half of the track.

“Sunset” opens with the kind of synths I’d expect from the triumphant ending of an obscure ’80s movie you saw once on VHS at a grandparent’s house, before abruptly shifting into the most driving groove of the EP. The second verse has one of my favorite creative decisions on the entire project, departing from the rest of the EP’s sonic palette (which is heavily drenched in reverb) and presents us with a totally dry vocal, drums, bass and guitar arrangement. This change in texture effectively brings the listener’s attention to the parts now laid bare, more easily able to focus on the individual elements rather than the complete whole. It’s a subtle move but a brilliant one. 

On this release, Jumpmonk proves once again that they are well-deserving of their unique place in the Provo scene. It’s another excellent batch of tracks that are the clear result of thoughtful writing, arrangement and production. My only hope for the band is that they continue taking their time with the new music they make, but maybe with a few more concerts here and there.

Make sure to follow Jumpmonk on Instagram! You can listen to “Sunset” below.