Joe Jaber and The Last Divide
Detroit Singer/Songwriter Joe Jaber’s “Something New” is Something Timeless
Detroit, MI – Joe Jaber has one of those voices – a brutal howl one moment, soft and cool the next – deep, rich and soulful enough to tell any tale. And oh, the tales it tells.
But Jaber’s vocal capacity is far from his only strength as an artist. Demonstrating a broad musical style ranging from Americana, blues, rock, folk and country, the singer/songwriter shows off his writing chops on his latest record, “Something New,” as a creative storyteller with a gift for creating a connection between his experiences and those of his listeners. Although each of the tracks stands strongly on its own, collectively the record explores a deeper narrative, unfolding layer by layer, song by song.
“I think the reason people relate to my songs is they see themselves in my stories,” says Jaber. “I’m writing about challenges we’ve all been touched by.”
Jaber has been writing and performing songs that tell stories grounded in his own experiences for more than a decade. Now on his fourth record, he’s an award-winning artist with a quickly growing fanbase who see and hear their own stories in his. Raised in a rough and tumble pocket of Metro Detroit coined as ‘Downriver,’ Jaber grew up in a neighborhood with kids running amok with minimal adult supervision.
“The street I grew up on was gritty. Some people grew up and did well; others had to hustle on the streets. I take all of that into who I am. It keeps me humble and keeps me driven to build great relationships with people. That’s one of the great things about music. It allows me that opportunity.”
His youth was shaped by great times marred by its share of tragedies. This is the well from which he pulls his stories; but for all his grit, his writing is balanced with an equal dose of determination and hope.
Together with his producer, fellow Detroiter Bryan Reilly, Jaber has created a true concept album, bookending the arc of the tracks with Intro and Outro pieces “Need Something New” and “Found Something New.” Stepping off with a paired-down bluesy, acoustic porch-stomper, the opener sets the stage for the tales to come, but it’s the hard-rocking, Telecaster-driven, house-shaking closer that brings it all back home. Like any good storyteller, Jaber tells us where we’re going, takes us there, then tells us where we’ve been.
The record’s first single, “Hard Times in the City,” will release with a lyric video. The blues-rocker chronicles the Detroit story of destruction and comeback that crosses genres and generations. The second release, “Let Me Go” is a weighted slow-mover with cinematic intensity accompanied by a fully produced music video.
“‘Let Me Go’ is about someone you’ve been with for years and felt shackled to. It’s about breaking free when you knew it would never get better. Stepping into something new was the hardest thing I ever did.”
“Something New” is slated for release May 21st, 2022 (CD Release Party at Otus Supply, in Ferndale, MI).