It’s fun to find great albums at the very end of the year. I stumbled upon the debut full length album from Jaime, and I was instantly impressed with their cohesive sound. The album is called Above & Beyond and it released on November 14th.
The band comes to us from Norway but has roots in South America. That is a very important aspect of their sound. The lineup on this album is Jaime on guitars and backing vocals, Angelika Frajberg on vocals, Jørgen Beijer on bass and vocals, Anita Olausen on backing vocals, Asbjørn Titlestad on keys, and Michael Sveri on drums.
You’ll notice that many of the members perform vocals. Well, the band may play progressive metal, but it is filtered through South American folk motifs, cinematic flair, symphonic color, and beautiful vocal harmonies. Ironically, there aren’t many vocals at all in the first half of the album, so much so that I thought this was an instrumental project at first.
The album is about a search for belonging. Apparently, Jaime has experienced some healthcare issues in Norway as he was adopted from South America when he was young. This has made him feel like a fish out of water, like he doesn’t belong in the only place he calls home. The album follows that trajectory, exploring the ideas of home, belonging, and finding your place and your family.
The first half of the album, as I mentioned, is mostly instrumental. This half gives me Joseph Magazine vibes, which is probably why I liked it immediately. I love the short opener “Old Spirits, Insects, and Butterflies” with its gorgeous vocal harmonies. It feels like the start of something expansive. The title track hits next, and it is instantly infectious with its amazing guitars, sweeping keys, and bright narrative. “Heavy Falls Heaven” arrives next, and is a darker, more driving piece with shadows and cinema in its veins. It’s fantastic. The next two tracks, “Event Horizon” and “Power of the Sun” are like extensions of that song, the former featuring powerful riffs and finger work, and the latter being slightly more casual and accessible.
Then the second half begins. “I Am of All Things” changes things. All the elements are still there, but the song centers around keys and vocals with guitars as the backdrop. It takes a moment to adjust, but I really like the vocal style here. The next few tracks are all vocally centered, “One More Day” and “The World is for You” especially, being the shortest overall. My favorite of this section is “The Brightest of Stars”, which features a huge hook that I absolutely love, and the sheer beauty of the melodies is something that makes me close my eyes and soak it up. “In the End” is more stripped back but also has a giant chorus that makes you want to sing.
After this, the album gives us a pair of tracks, the first of which returns somewhat to the style of the first half, only turning the cinema way up. “Lights” feels almost like a spy thriller in some moments, a funk-laden groove in others, and a folk dance in others. It’s a truly cool song. The closer “With You By My Side” is more like the second half, a gentle ballad with heartfelt vocals. I like how the album revisits its two styles as it ends.
I hear massive potential in Jaime. The guitars are terrific, the melodies are weighty, and the emotions are potent. I would love to see them abandon the AI artwork as they find their footing. They have something wonderful to offer the world and I have high expectations for their future works.
_______________
Find Jaime online:
_______________
_______________
The PROG Mind 