It’s pretty likely you’ve never heard of Jackson Boone. He lives a fairly low key life managing a vegan juice bar tucked away all the way up in the top left corner of the country, while also quietly making stunningly gorgeous records. The song we’re highlighting today is the title track to Jackson’s album “Natural Changes”, a timeless psych-folk ballad with lush strings that is tailor-made for a bittersweet cinematic montage.
Recorded at Cannon Beach along the Oregon coast with producer Riley Geare of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “Natural Changes” is rich with vivid imagery of the Pacific coastal setting where it was conceived. Despite touching on heavy subject matter like death and passing into the unknown, the song remains light and dreamy with that small touch of levity Jackson often weaves into his songwriting.
The string arrangement throughout is subtle and understated, elevating what would otherwise be a somewhat somber song and giving it an otherworldly quality that seems to transport you to another place. The vocal track, slightly phased between channels, provides a sense of intimacy and darkness which tethers the song from becoming too schmaltzy.
The entire “Natural Changes” album is strongly influenced by Jackson’s deep appreciation for 60’s and 70’s era psychedelic folk-rock, and things certainly get rather out there from time to time. The second track is called “Dolphin Turned Into A Cat”. But if this record is like the soundtrack to an acid trip it’s a very good one, and as the closing song “Natural Changes” is the slow comedown that lands you in a serene place where for just a moment the whole universe just makes sense.
