“The Winter EP” by Jets Under Fire is the first full-band recording from solo artist and former frontman of The Professional Americans Jason Poe.
The EP begins with the Coldplay-esque “The Whitest Light,” a song that floats on a sea of piano, falsetto vocals and reverberating guitar lines that even Interpol would be jealous of.
“All the Sad Songs” quickly enters with bombastic guitars, organ, and lyrics that reach for your heartstrings and don’t let go. “’All the Sad Songs’ was written from the realization that all my favorite songs are extremely sad songs. Yet, within that they remind me of some of the most beautiful times of my life, ” says Jason Poe. “This paradox in my own life led me to question the arrogance in human nature. If we can’t write sad songs that make us sad, then why do we think we can understand all the mysteries of the universe.”
The third track and emotional hinge of “The Winter EP” is the swirling “Stop / Go.” Dealing with the everyday grind of American life, the song moves with the hustle and bustle of rush hour traffic. A favorite of friends and fans, the song was once described as a “modern-day version of The Moody Blues.”
The EP takes a dramatic turn with the emotionally engaging “From Here to the Ashes.” “…Ashes came out of my frustrations with the person my beliefs call me to be and the reality of who my actions say I am,” says Poe. “There is just a longing in my soul for a ‘fire’ to burn away the old and bring in the new.”
“Moonlight” caps the album with its dreamy soundscape of slide guitar, stray piano, and feedback. The song truly captures the vibe and emotion of the aptly titled “Winter EP” and is the perfect finish to a collection of songs wrapped in the cold, gray beauty of winter.
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