Jack M. Senff describes his new album as "a return to center" and its opening song "Whole Heart" sets that tone in motion. Recorded in 2023 at LaLa Land Studios in Louisville, KY – produced by Anne Gauthier and mastered by TW Walsh – Feeling & Devotion is the story of an artist finding himself through a nostalgic lens.
“I want to write a new song That feels like the old songs”
"Best We Can" starts off with harmonica and its drum beat allows the listener to skip along in reverie with Senff who lyrically tries to make sense of where he’s been and how he got to where he is today. “Is it all right/To want to be all right?” This song packs emotional layers beneath its jaunty rhythm. The album demands that you pay attention to its depth.
“Honest to god I don’t know how I got here”
"County Fair" brings in Em Randall on the vocals and again the listener is transported into a memory. This song seems to set the scene for the next track "Kickin’ Around". They go from slow to upbeat like the start of a good daydream. These songs also introduce characters to the story. Not knowing who Senff is referencing by name doesn’t matter. Keep listening and you will.
Continuing along the emotional highway, "Rat", "Every Early Sunday", and "Snake" address feelings of conflict that every human being carries around. Anger, confusion, self-doubt, faithlessness, and the general malaise that comes with not feeling like you’re living your best life. “Nothin’s easy”, "Easy" tells us. This is burnout in musical form. Jack M. Senff nails that state of being perfectly.
Another theme throughout Feeling & Devotion is that of yearning. Melodically there is a longing thread that stitches each song together. "End of Time" begs both a lover and a life for some clarity. "Hallelujah" is a bittersweet mix of regret and gratitude and as I near the end of the album I place Senff in the same category as Ben Folds when it comes to great songwriting. The end of "Hallelujah" is stunningly gorgeous.
The closing track "Early Autumn Sweetness" seems to pick up where "Best We Can" leaves us. “All my life I’ve been chasing after something undefined/All my life I’ve just wanted to feel whole inside”. Midwest emo lyrics with an indie folk sound rounding out a phenomenal album that upon further listening truly does feel like a seasonal trip through a period of “figuring it all out” that many can relate to. Along with Em Randall, a slew of musicians also appear on this record: Jack is lead vocalist and plays acoustic guitar and harmonica. Brian Morgante on backing vocals, acoustic guitar, and percussion. John Richard Paul also lends his vocals and plays bass and acoustic along with the banjo and mandolin. Charlie Millard is on keys and accordion and Schyler Binkley is on drums.
Jack M. Senff and company will be performing Feeling & Devotion in its entirety on August 25th at The Circuit here in Traverse City. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Be sure and follow Jack M. Senff on Facebook & Instagram. Feeling & Devotion is available wherever you stream music and we at The Jam Files highly recommend purchasing the vinyl version. It’s a fantastic pressing. Visit Jack’s Bandcamp and website at jackmsenff.com for more info.
Jennifer Patino lives in Traverse City and loves music. Visit her blog at thistlethoughts.com