Jason Montero has been a presence on the American music scene for over thirty years, but it’s taken until now for him to feature on these pages.

By Graeme Smith

Starting in music in New Jersey and New York, Jason taught himself guitar before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona and lighting up the club scene there. It wasn’t long before he was performing nationally, and became inspired by the scenes and characters he met on his travels.

He’s an artist who is happy to take his time, and his new album Inside Out, the first album of original material he’s released in over twenty years, is the product of a decade’s work. In that time, Jason mastered home recording and the ability to collaborate remotely, and the result feels like a very personal collection.

In Inside Out, Jason’s experience shines through. Opening track Conclusive Illusions pairs an insatiable groove with some tasty guitar licks before his charismatic vocals come in. A Santana-esque sultriness flows through every note. Thorn follows with some pleasing percussion, rumbling bass and touches of Americana. Its clever, biting lyrics make it an early highlight.

Other highlights include the swaggering country rock of No James Dean, the urgent and visceral punk rock of From the Things I’ve Said and the dark and atmospheric Gomorrah. Venus And Mars provides a cosmic anthem before Her Majesty’s List closes the album with a short acoustic narrative.

Jason’s new album is a triumphant return. He’s infused his decades of experience into it, making an accomplished collection with a classic yet edgy sound. Perhaps more importantly, he hasn’t shied away from putting a lot of his personal story and emotions into each track, making it a highly relatable record. You simply need to listen to it to fully appreciate it.

Inside Out is out now and you can check it out below.