‘Old Man Reverb’
The Jigsaw Seen (Vibro-Phonic)
3.5 stars out of 5
Longtime pals Dennis Davison and Jonathan Lea formed pop/rock outfit The Jigsaw Seen more than a quarter century ago and have been plugging away just outside the mainstream ever since. The current decade has been the veteran band’s most prolific, with the rock-solid “Old Man Reverb” The Jigsaw Seen’s fourth full-length release since 2010.
The Jigsaw Seen have been praised for the innovative packaging of their music — 2000’s “Zenith” earned a Grammy nomination for best recording package — and “Old Man Reverb” is no exception. The CD case is designed to resemble a classic vinyl release, which works well with these 10 enjoyable power-pop tunes.
Things get off to a so-so start with “Let There Be Reverb,” but The Jigsaw Seen soon hit their stride with standouts “Idiots With Guitar,” “Understand,” “Madame Whirligig” and “Your Mind Is Like Mine.” Glad to see this talented outfit is still going strong. (Jeffrey Sisk)