Album Reviews

Formerly known as the Bob Calwell Vanity Project, the Ontario-based band has traded in the tongue-in-cheek handle for Jade Green. On their first under the new name—the four-piece delivers ten tight tracks of aggressive, emo-leaning pop-punk that positions them as one of Canada’s most promising acts to watch.

After a few lineup shifts, the band dynamic has fully locked in around main songwriter and frontman Bobby Calwell, now backed by Mason VanGaalen on bass, guitarist Patrick Briggs (Mvll Crimes), and drummer Patrick Linardic (Mile End).

Across the album’s ten tracks, Calwell dives headfirst into the mundane anxieties and raw heartbreaks of young adulthood and turns regret into pure catharsis on songs lamenting his college years, dissecting the slow decay of a love moving out of orbit, and wrestling with unabashed self-deprecation (“I’m a sick, sad fuck”).

Musically, the record lands in a brilliant sweet spot. Think of an emo version of Pkew Pkew Pkew if that makes any sense. But as you work your way down the tracklisting, you’ll just as well think of Jeff Rosenstock, the moodiness of Title Fight and the self-deprecating bite of fellow Canadians PUP.

While they may wear their influences on their sleeves, Jade Green never feels like a carbon copy. Calwell’s distinct vocal delivery and the band's muscular rhythm section give the record a flavor all its own. It’s tight, earnest, and a hell of a fun ride.