Jay Draper & The Subterraneans - Behind The Night

Jay Draper & The Subterraneans is a new wave, post-punk, glam, and goth band aiming to take all the elements of those classic genres and mash them into a modern day formula. The project consists of the titular Jay Draper and Justin Minister. Draper's former project The Scarlet Fever went on an extended break whilst Minister's group Amy's Arms "decided to give up the ghost", or so states the press release. Thus, with a common musical mentality, the duo got together and have since spent many nights in Toronto basement studios honing their craft, making music, and working on their live performance for when venues begin to re-open. 

As a new project, Jay Draper & The Subterraneans have a short music history though one that is worth exploring. Their first double that released was the double "Belly Of The Beast / Scatterbrain"; this not only solidified the group's sound but also their theatrical and psychedelic aesthetic. When I first saw Draper on the cover of this double, I immediately thought of the cult leader from the movie Mandy; if there were ever to be a re-casting of that character for a re-make (which I hope never happens), I think Draper could easily take the spot. He has the charisma and fashion sense already. That anecdote aside, Draper's next release came with the next double "Inside Out / Land of Anxiety". These two doubles, released in January and July of 2018 respectively, teased the forthcoming album. Two years later we now have it close at hand as "Behind the Night" is due out for release on February 5th, 2021. 

The cover art for "Behind the Night" penetrated my soul as I looked into it; a red planet sits behind Draper with violet light illuminating the scene. Draper, painted with a blue radiance, stares in shock at something from beyond the void. Even the font for the text is well suited for the release. It's a call back to something old and yet the fidelity of the image leaves it in modern day production. As always, and I like to state this with every review, my thoughts on the cover art do not affect the score; it's just fun for me to explore before I enter the album. 



My initial thoughts when I first played the album came out of my mouth when Jay Draper first let his chords be known to the world. In my car on the way to work, my mind opened from my half-awoken state and I whispered, "Holy hell!" to myself. I am not so easily impressed with vocals; after listening to so many different albums and receiving near non-stop promotions on Brutal, finding a vocalist I find phenomenal is a rare occasion. Most of the promotions I receive have vocalists that drown their voices in digital effects. This is not a bad thing, however; I quite enjoy the sound that comes of digitally altered lyrics. However, Draper's voice is natural and his pitch can shift; he's malleable. Though often staying in a deeper tone, songs such as 'Stand For The Fire Demon' and 'Inside Out' showcase his talent. This is something that is not learned; it's practiced time and time again. And he's nailed it on this release.

Minister's contributions are not to be floundered, either. Though both Draper and Minister work on synths and programming, Minister's work comes in length with guitar, bass, and digital percussion. A good throwback album like this is not complete without drums that can kick next to the other melancholy moods found on the album. Minister's contributions and talents are shown off best on the song 'Land Of Anxiety'. While the foundations of a new wave / post-punk / goth song are all there, I believe that the steady and rhythmic instrumentation coming from the electronic pads are what kept this song alive. Well timed and with flawless execution, this song was a winner for me. 

Draper also allied themselves with plenty of guest musicians such as Cat Samuels of L'autre Dame, Ian Revell of Double Eyelid, Margret Nichol (White Noise Conspiracy, Blue Hour, Perdition & Her Beautiful Death), Jay Faulk of Bloody Blue Darlings, and Paul Mercer of The Changelings and Faith and the Muse. There are too many credits to list here for what each of these musicians worked on on the album. However, the full credits can be found on the Draper Bandcamp page should the curious listener wish to know who contributed to which track. 

My favorite track on the album by far is 'Scatterbrain'. It's a slow-paced song focusing on synth work and a ballad courtesy of Jay Draper's tremendous chords. To me, this is Jay Draper & The Subterraneans at their most vulnerable; it has an amazing build up. Whenever I hear this song, I half-imagine Jay Draper and Justin Minister standing on a cloud in the middle of the night singing to the cities below, alluring the folks below into a trance-like sleep. The song crescendos with an amazing guitar driven outro as Draper shouts out all his pain to the world. Absolutely beautiful and wonderful. 

I hardly have a complaint about this album; from the standpoint of production to the aesthetic and imagery, Jay Draper has done it all. The album is available on Bandcamp for pre-order in both digital and limited edition CD formats. You can pre-order it HERE. 

This review was commissioned through our Ko-fi page. Feel free to check it out for review, interview, and premiere opportunities. 
Jan 10 2021