Jason Shand doesn’t just have the goal of getting his new single “X Factor” to the masses this summer – he wants to establish credibility that goes beyond the waves of a trend, and he’s likely chosen the right song to do as much with in this one. Although I’m as big a fan of the minimalist pop movement we’ve been seeing and hearing more and more of out of the American underground in the past couple of years, there’s nothing wrong with a track that steps into excess with as much drive and panache as “X Factor” does, largely because of the attitude with which its creator is presenting its core narrative to us right now.
He could have come in hot n’ heavy much as he chose to develop a supple melodic underpinning in this composition’s best moments – chorus included – but his discipline didn’t allow for him to do anything of the sort. The truth of the matter is quite simple, even if the songwriting isn’t, which is that Jason Shand doesn’t want to fit into your box of what a modern singer/songwriter is, and his audacious brand of melodies in this performance verify such a statement on the spot.
There’s striking contrast to behold in “X Factor,” but at no point during my initial sit-down with this single did I feel like I was supposed to be focusing on the dual concepts at play as much as I am on the friction created between them. Lyrically, this has got to be one of the more enigmatic paths Shand could have taken to finding his point here, but his actual delivery is decadent and straightforward (which is hardly a combination you’re going to find in droves across the mainstream at the moment). Tonality matters to this player, but not enough to get in the way of his unique writing style, which is probably going to be the biggest takeaway that any critics have when listening to “X Factor” in detail. This is an artist who needs not the wastefulness of a top-notch production quality but instead yearns for a black and white framing through which he can tell us something that isn’t nearly as cut and dry in nature.
If this is just a preview of what Jason Shand is planning on producing in the years to come then I would have to assume we’re only hearing a taste of what he can bring with him to the table when there’s nothing present to hamper his ambitions as an artist and performer. There’s definitely nothing about “X Factor” that suggests hesitancy when he steps into the booth, and I’ve got a strong gut feeling that, if anything, he’s giving us more of a sampling in this single than he is the complete package of what he can really do. There’s an industriousness here that I’m desperate to hear more of, and with a little more exposure from larger audiences, I’m going to get my wish through one channel or another.
Jodi Marxbury