Aeneas Jones is a Christchurch artist who is releasing a series of albums dubbed ‘Chickenyard’, full of songs he’s written over the last 20 years. ‘Modern Deserving’ is the third of the series. From the abstract electronic opener Crush Technology to creepy experimental final track Street Walker, and all the more radio-friendly songs in between, the album is a real mish-mash of genres and influences.
The majority of the album has an effortless, warm lo-fi sound – in places sounding almost like an intimate unplugged gig. It has a charming human quality to it, and that natural-ness sticks with the music throughout the many stylistic jumps, loosely tying it all together – even when Aeneas’ voice sometimes sounds completely different track to track.
The album’s standout Wide Birth is a wistful indie-pop song. With soft vocals set to fingerpicked guitar and gentle percussion it’s one of the most stripped backtracks on ‘Modern Deserving’, but the simplicity in arrangement allows for a little more complexity in chords and harmonies. Offering something for everyone, as a whole this is a very strong artistic collection that gets better with each listen.
