The Bitter and the Unbelievable brings you back to a musical time when vocals and melody ruled the world. Chase delivers 1st class vocal performances throughout sometimes reminiscent of simon and garfunkel, sometimes beach boys with a modern guitar sound backing him up. The opening track On my own is filled with a contagious hook that steals your attention then stays in your head for the rest of the day. As strong as Waves is the next track and chase builds from a a single note pick, to vocals softly growing into a beautiful melody. Good for you is another modern day hit! Chase has the ability to write simple yet powerful memorable melodies. The bitter and the unbelievable easily has 5 singles including On My Own, As strong as Waves, Fantasy, Your something, and my fav Good for you. Be aware chase's music is like a lay's chip you can't have just one.

Artist: Chase Jedick
Songs reviewed: On My Own, Good For You
Website music link: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/9/chasejedickmusic.htm

First off I have to say that I am already familiar with Chase Jedick's work. I am already aware that he is a talented songwriter. The first tune I am reviewing here, "On my own", I had already heard. "On my own" is a neatly arranged song performed by Chase on vox and acoustic guitar and one of Chase's friends, Alex Phan on acoustic lead guitar. The song has a pleasant laid-back feel to it. The melody is reminiscent of 60's era british pop. It has a certain beatle-like quality to it. The lyrics are well thought out and tell a story of sight being given to a blind love-struck fool who wakes up and finally walks away. In the midst of it all, Alex throws in some very tasty lead licks. You may have heard that the mark of a true good song is if it grabs you in its most stripped-down state. If it sounds good and grabs you sung only with an acoustic, then it only gets better from there. Certainly "On my own" is an example of that.

"Good for you" is a song that has been drawing alot of people in for Chase. It has done well on soundclick's rock/pop charts and is another example of Chase's strong songwriting skills. "Good for you's" lyrics tell another story of a love-struck blind fool who is willing to sacrifice his individuality for the love of a woman. The story of a man without a spine wanting to be the person she wants him to be. Fortunately, this is not what Chase believes. It is, however, a very well written song with a great melody and a catchy guitar riff. Great easy-listening.

In an era when lyricism, musicianship, and innovation are cast aside for mainstream pop-rock and pop-punk, many music aficionados have turned to artists of the past for their musical solace. The current music scene is reminiscent of the late 1970s, when Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers helped carry rock n’ roll through a period of over-produced arena bands and disco clubs. In a similar manner, Chase Jedick has a vision beyond the current scene containing such bands as Trapt and Three Days Grace. On this album, however, instead of displaying his Rolling Stones and Nirvana influences, Chase has stripped his most sensitive songs down, baring his poems accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, tambourine, and harmonica. The Bitter and the Unbelievable is the long-awaited conclusion and successor to Winter Air, Chase’s previous musical summit. The new album begins with “On My Own”. If you are familiar with the version heard on the live album, the new version will most certainly surprise and please. Aside from the heartfelt lyrics, the song is highlighted by the groundbreaking guitar solo by guest musician Alex Phan. If you are familiar with the conventional guitar scales combed heavily by many guitarists, the track played by Phan will most likely leave you in a state of confusion and bewilderment. The album is worth the money just to hear these 43 seconds of instrumentation. The third track, “Fantasy”, is probably Chase’s finest display of songwriting to date. Lead by the powerful line, “Sometimes I feel like my Jesus loves you more than me”, “Fantasy” is sure to evoke emotions in even the most carefree listener. The beauty of “Fantasy” is soon dashed by the Dylanesque rocker “Rob Casey”. This tune was intentionally recorded in a less professional manner, focusing instead on the intensity and emotion behind the words. “Who’s the La La” makes a return on this album. Although the lyrics may leave the audience perplexed, the catchy chorus melody will cause the listener to wonder just who the La La is. “James Jesse” is an epic story-song, an angelic mixture of elements from “November Rain” by Guns n’ Roses and “Rocky Raccoon” by the Beatles. Three minutes into the song, the listener could easily be led to believe that Chase’s harmonies were actually sung by George, Paul, and John. Overall, the album does not contain a bad song or a slow moment. If you are in the market for an album that you can play in its entirety without having to search for a listenable song, this is a must purchase. Although I only have some of the songs in demo version, this album has cracked my top ten of all time, joining the ranks of such artists as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, Smashing Pumpkins, and Cat Stevens. This album is a must have for any music visionary or connoisseur of the best that rock has to offer. My only hope is that Chase’s music will catch on and expand past the boundaries of Lafayette, Indiana and Cleveland, Ohio.

Rock on,
Jacob McDaniel