Child Of The State is the third album of Ayron Jones, Seattle-based guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer. This is an amazing raw hard rock album that can be a masterpiece in his not short career.
Reset and restart…they’re what Ayron Jones might want to do with this album for his career. Child of The State isn’t his debut album, unlike its description. If I consider the last two albums as a band’s products (the first album was under “Ayron Jones and The Way” and the second was under his name, but indeed, both were a band even Ayron was a sole creator and character), this new album is a debut solo album. The first and second albums aren’t available today anyway. Reset and restart are sometimes necessary steps for us to move forward. And Ayron’s strategy effectively worked with his new album.
Child of The State consists of 6 new songs, 2 songs (“My Love Remains”, “Baptized in Muddy Waters”) from the first album in 2013, Dream, and 4 songs (“Boys From The Puget Sound”, “Take Me Away”, “Emily”, “Take Your Time”) from the second album in 2017, Audio Paint Job. Regarding the existing songs, there is a significant difference with the originals; better. All remakes gained more dynamics with the new album. Though I like the original versions a lot, those enhanced versions are more solid, aggressive, sharper, bolder, and edger with better and clearer production. The opening track, as well as Ayron’s concert anthem, “Boys From The Puget Sound” is more explosive than the previous album. This song is very heavy like a 10-ton concrete block or Seattle’s black sky before a storm. The extreme rage against society is more radical with the enhanced production. “Boys From The Puget Sound” (note: Puget Sound is the famous sound you see on Seattle’s postcards) was originally written way before Seattle’s social unrest against police originated by the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, but coincidentally, this song is perfect to represent the Seattleites’ anger and frustration. There is no better choice for the first song other than “Boys From The Puget Sound” to knock out listeners instantly and make them focus on the rest of the album while impressing them who Ayron Jones is. Expression is perfect with this song; both Ayron’s vocal and guitar are agitating. Honestly, I haven’t heard that type of heavily angry song for a while, including hard-core metal. I’m also glad Ayron didn’t self-censored 4 letter words on the first verse “I already called the fuckin police” as he did on Audio Paint Job. This 4 letter word has a very important role to make the angry song impressive throughout. No need to hesitate. Freedom of speech. Nice done.
Another impressive reform is the last song, “Take Your Time”. I love this song a lot and love this song even more than before with this more sassy version. Ayron added ‘90 country-rock guitar flavor with the verses, which dramatically contrasts with the remaining hard and bold love ballad. Vocal and guitar are emotionally howling at the climax. This is like a rock gospel. So church. Wanting to make a standing ovation at home. Another perfect choice for ending the album with everlasting feedbacks. I push the play button again to repeat the album.
Ayron Jones twisted my philosophy about remakes; originals are better than remakes. I’m personally skeptical about the remakes of existing songs because the originals are the kings and none of the remakes exceed the excitement of original versions even the productions and sound quality are progressed. But Ayron did it better easily while still being himself. He didn’t do anything special but two things. Production is better and guitar arrangements are more exciting. “Take Me Away” is bolder, “Baptized in Muddy Waters” is wilder, and “My Love Remains” is more dramatic, but those remakes of Ayron’s anthems have more chemistry than those one-word descriptions.
Let’s look at new songs. “Mercy” is the second single from the album about the concentratedly doomed 2020 including social justice that has lingered in the U.S. Explosive anger is inherited from “Boys From The Puget Sound”, its previous song. I like the raw, heavy-cutting guitar that’s the trademark of Ayron Jones, but more than that, what impressive is Ayron’s vocal performance especially the ending. His vocal is a beast mode to cry begging mercy to unimaginable reality. This is a new side of Ayron Jones to expose himself.
Beast vocal is also heard on “Supercharged” and “Spinning Circles” (though I think I heard its verse melodies somewhere a while ago, like 20 years ago…). “Supercharged” is a new style for Ayron with punkish flavors over his original grinding hard rock, like expressing the title. Ayron’s new effort with memorable shouts contributes to him being on a higher level as a singer who can impress raw emotion besides being a wonderful guitarist. Ayron Jones is one of the kind guitarists whose emotion and guitar strings are directly connected together. Now his vocal cords are added to the connection.
My other favorite new song is “Killing Season” with a bunch of killing guitar riffs. It’s less grunge, more metal but Ayron’s attractive charisma is emphasized the best as possible within the speedy tune.
My previous concerns about both the production and sound quality of the previous albums are gradually eliminated with the new album. More dynamic and clear production than before. Sound quality is significantly uplifted than Audio Paint Job which had unfortunate sound quality. The guitar sound is captured so vividly. I can visualize how Ayron Jones is playing each string in the studio. Yet Child of The State is still full of underground thrills no matter the scale is upgraded. Far from being commercial or mainstream, positively.
Now a new question is raised. Ayron Jones is often described as a mixture of Jimi Hendrix and grunge such as Nirvana and Soundgarden, all are his hometown’s pride. Does he still need those descriptions despite he indeed has those influences? I doubt it. He creates his own original hard rock even before and now. Child of The State proves it.
Ayron Jones is the musician who deserves worldwide recognition out of Seattle like I wrote many times. His talent deserved more than being a local guitar hero. I think Child of The State is the album to prove to the world what he got with both new and old songs with the perfect balance. The pandemic is over. This year, Ayron Jones goes on a national tour. I can’t wait to witness his leap with this new album. And the next album with all new materials.
OVERALL POINTS: 99/100
- Songs: ★★★★+3/4
- Originality: ★★★★+3/4
- Thrills: ★★★★★
- Song orders: ★★★★★
- Vocal: ★★★★★
- Background: ★★★★★
- Sound: ★★★★★
- Production: ★★★★★
- Strong songs: “Boys From The Puget Sound”, “Mercy”, “Take Me Away”, “Supercharged”, “My Love Remains”, “Killing Season”, “Baptized In Muddy Waters”, “Take Your Time”
EXTRA (NOT COUNTED TOWARD THE OVERALL POINTS)
- Title: B
- Album cover: B
RELEASE DATE (US): 05/21/2021
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