A Shadow of My Future Self
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| A Shadow of My Future Self | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 November 2021 | |||
| Length | 78:29 | |||
| Label | Graphite Records | |||
| Producer | Ross Jennings | |||
| Ross Jennings chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Shadow of My Future Self | ||||
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A Shadow of My Future Self is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Ross Jennings. It was released on 19 November 2021 through Graphite Records.[1] Unlike his more well-known Progressive music, Jennings' solo record follows a much more mainstream approach with Jennings directly citing Styx, Coldplay, Journey and Porcupine Tree as references.[2][3][4]
On 31 December 2021, Jennings announced on Instagram page that a follow-up album was in the works.[5]
Background[edit]
The album's name is a play on the phrase "a shadow of my former self," but spins the phrase in a positive light, with the idea that the person you are now has room to improve and grow as a person.[4]
The album was initially teased on 3 October 2020 through Jennings' social media and was later announced by name on 25 June 2021 along with the release of the album's first single "Words We Can't Unsay."[6] Subsequent singles "Grounded,[7]" "Violet,[8]" "Feelings,[9]" and "Catcher in the Rye[10]" were released monthly with music videos until the albums release. "Rocket Science" later received a music video upon the album's release and "Be The One" received a music video upon the release of the vinyl edition of the album.[11][12]
The album later received a Japanese release with an orchestral version of the song "Third Degree" included as a bonus track.[13]
Production[edit]
The album began production near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the pandemic giving Ross the chance to put together his own album while unable to perform and write music with Haken.[4]
The album's material dates to as far back as at least 2010. The first song on the album to be written for the album was "Third Degree." Originally titled "The Person You Are," it was initially written around the same time as "She Loves You More".[14] The first song written directly for the album was "Feelings," with the song being used as a benchmark for the album's recording techniques.[15] The lyrics for "Words We Can't Unsay" were heavily based upon his marriage issues at the time. This association bleeds directly into some of the lyrics as Ross stated that many lines were taken directly from his marital arguments.[16]
The lyrics and vocal melody for chorus for the song "Young at Heart" were initially planned to be used on the song "Prosthetic" from Haken's 2020 album Virus but ultimately went unused by the band.[17]
The music video for "Feelings" was based upon iconic video games and features Ross Jennings as the protagonist of an arcade game with various levels loosely based upon Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Metal Gear Solid and Guitar Hero. An actual game was created by Crystal Spotlight in Unreal Engine 4 and Ross announced that a full game may be released if interest is shown.[18][19]
The final song on the album, Jennings' cover of Be the One by Dua Lipa, was done as a bit of fun on Jennings' part, stating "You wouldn't expect a prog metal artist to perform a "half-decent cover of a Dua Lipa song."[4]
The album's cover was taken from a series of promotional shots taken by Jennings' wife. The photo in particular stood out to Jennings and according to him, it greatly represented his feelings with himself and the album at the time. He then gave the photo to long-time Haken collaborators Blacklake who turned the photo into a Banksy-esque graffiti piece. The cover's colour choice is a reference to the song "Violet."[4] Jennings has also teased the idea of the colour scheme being related to "non-stop purple force," a misheard line in the song "Falling Back to Earth" from Haken's 2013 album The Mountain.[20][21][22]
Track listing[edit]
All lyrics are written by Ross Jennings
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Better Times" | 4:08 |
| 2. | "Words We Can't Unsay" | 5:04 |
| 3. | "Violet" | 5:29 |
| 4. | "The Apologist" | 4:55 |
| 5. | "Rocket Science" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Catcher in the Rye" | 5:18 |
| 7. | "Since That Day" | 3:25 |
| 8. | "Young at Heart" | 8:13 |
| 9. | "Feelings" | 4:56 |
| 10. | "Third Degree" | 4:34 |
| 11. | "Phoenix" | 11:50 |
| 12. | "Grounded" | 8:02 |
| 13. | "Year" | 4:55 |
| 14. | "Be the One (Bonus Track)" | 3:25 |
| Total length: | 78:29 | |
Acoustic Shadows[edit]
| Acoustic Shadows | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | January 28, 2022 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, Pop rock | |||
| Length | 52:37 | |||
| Label | Graphite Records | |||
| Producer | Ross Jennings | |||
| Ross Jennings chronology | ||||
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An acoustic rendition of the album titled Acoustic Shadows was performed as part of a paid livestream by Jennings on 23 July 2021, with videos of the performances of "Words We Can't Unsay" and "Feelings" being released later on.[23][24][25] An Acoustic Shadows tour
was scheduled to coincide with the albums launch but were cancelled due to financial woes and the COVID-19 pandemic.[26] The setlist for the livestream included the song "She Loves You More," a track Jennings had written that was featured on Redados' 2010 album Too Tired for Sleep, "Canary Yellow" from Haken's 2020 album Virus, and "Sail Away" from Novena's 2020 album Eleventh Hour.[4][27][28]
As well as this, the tour was planned to include songs from outside the album. These songs were "The Mind's Eye" and "Deathless," from Haken's 2010 album Visions, "Sun Dance" and "Disconnected," from Novena's 2020 album Eleventh Hour, as well as Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" and Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill".[29]
In January 2021, Jennings released a recording of the Acoustic Shadows livestream onto streaming services.[30]
Track listing[edit]
All lyrics are written by Ross Jennings, except on "Sail Away" and "Canary Yellow."
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Better Times" | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Words We Can't Unsay" | 5:08 |
| 3. | "Rocket Science" | 4:17 |
| 4. | "Young at Heart" | 7:28 |
| 5. | "Since That Day" | 3:29 |
| 6. | "She Loves You More" | 4:35 |
| 7. | "Third Degree" | 4:44 |
| 8. | "Grounded" | 5:52 |
| 9. | "Feelings" | 4:15 |
| 10. | "Sail Away" (ft. Harrison White) | 4:28 |
| 11. | "Canary Yellow" (ft. Richard Henshall) | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 52:37 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Ross Jennings – vocals, guitar
- Richard Henshall – guitar on "Canary Yellow"
- Harrison White – piano on "Sail Away"
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Prog Radio |   [31] |
| Sonic Perspectives | 9/10 |
| The PROG Mind | 8.5/10 |
| The Fire Note | 4.5/5 |
| Norway Rock Magazine | 4.5/6 |
Reception for the album has been generally positive. SonicPerspectives highly praised the album, stating "Jennings' debut confidently establishes him as an artist in his own right with the potential to chart whichever course he wishes in the future. A Shadow of My Future Self" is one of 2021's true gems."[32] The PROG Mind also strongly praised the album, in particuclar its diversity, stating "The music can sound like New Wave one moment, Pink Floyd another, and then something all Ross' own in still another. The range is impressive, and one reason why this record really works."[33] Progarchy provides unilateral praise, stating "Jennings is at the top of his game on vocals and guitar, backed by stellar players."[34]
The album was later nominated for The Prog Report's album of the year, as well as being nominated for four other categories including "Album Production of the Year," "Epic of the Year" ("Phoenix"), "Music VIdeo of the Year" ("Feelings") and "Song of the Year" ("Violet").[35]
Personnel[edit]
Musicians
- Ross Jennings – vocals, guitar
- Nathan Navarro – bass, additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Simen Sandnes – drums, additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Vikram Shankar – piano, keyboards, additional vocals on "Phoenix", orchestral arrangement
- Kristian Frostad – lap steel guitar
- Jørgen Lund Karlsen – saxophone, brass arrangements on "Word We Can't Unsay"
- Sigurd Evensen – trombone
- Stig Espen Hundsnes – trumpet
- Yulia Jennings – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Dylan Laine – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Amanda Wilson – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Paul Winstanley – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Karim Sinno – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Clea Daher – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
- Fredrik Bergersen Klemp – additional vocals on "Phoenix"
Technical
- Ross Jennings – production
- Karim Sinno – mixing, additional editing and engineering
- Ermin Hamidovic – mastering
- Paul 'Win' Wintanley – vocals and additional guitar recording and engineering
References[edit]
- ^ "Ross Jennings | Graphite Records". Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ BraveWords. "Between A Rock And A Prog Place: HAKEN's ROSS JENNINGS – "I'm Not Listening To An Awful Lot Of Modern Prog Bands These Days To Be Honest"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ^ Ewing, Jerry (2021-09-17). "Ross Jennings gets animated in new video for Feelings". Prog. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ^ a b c d e f Ross Jennings - 'A Shadow of my Future Self': The Interview (Full Version). Ross Jennings Official. 2021-12-05. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ "ＲＯＳＳ ＪＥＮＮＩＮＧＳ (@rossjenningsofficial) on Instagram | Ghostarchive". ghostarchive.org. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
- ^ Ewing, Jerry (2021-06-25). "Haken singer Ross Jennings releases video for debut solo single Words We Can't Unsay". Prog. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ "HAKEN Front-man ROSS JENNINGS Unveils Second Solo Album Single 'Grounded'". Sonic Perspectives. 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ BraveWords. "HAKEN Frontman ROSS JENNINGS Releases "Violet" Single And Music Video; New Solo Tour Dates Announced". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ Ewing, Jerry (2021-09-17). "Ross Jennings gets animated in new video for Feelings". Prog. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ "HAKEN Front-man ROSS JENNINGS Releases New Single and Video for 'Catcher in the Rye'". Sonic Perspectives. 2021-10-31. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ "Haken's Ross Jennings Channels Rick Springfield on New Song, "Rocket Science"". MetalSucks. 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ Ross Jennings - Be The One (Dua Lipa Cover) (Official Music Video). Ross Jennings Official. 2022-01-14. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ "ワードレコーズ・ダイレクト / ア・シャドウ・オブ・マイ・フューチャー・セルフ【CD】". wardrecords.com. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ Ross Jennings - Track by track - 10. Third Degree. Ross Jennings Official. 2021-11-14. Archived from the original on 2022-01-02. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ross Jennings - Track by track - 9. Feelings. Ross Jennings Official. 2021-11-13. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ross Jennings - Track by track - 2. Words We Can't Unsay. Ross Jennings Official. 2021-11-06. Archived from the original on 2022-01-02. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ Highlight: Prosthetic In-Depth - hakenofficial on Twitch, 2020-04-25, retrieved 2022-01-03
- ^ Crystal Spotlight [@cspotlight] (September 17, 2021). "@RossWJennings The footage of the game you see @RossWJennings playing in the music video is actually a real playable video game that we developed using @UnrealEngine! https://t.co/RUeRU1plLF" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via Twitter.
- ^ A Conversation with Ross Jennings | The Daily Doug (Episode 298). Doug Helvering. 2021-12-28. Archived from the original on 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ "ＲＯＳＳ ＪＥＮＮＩＮＧＳ (@rossjenningsofficial) on Instagram | Ghostarchive". ghostarchive.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ Haken [@Haken_Official] (May 8, 2014). "@mcevad124 that's non-stop purple force ; )" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via Twitter.
- ^ u/Frainaman. "Sharing my thoughts for Haken's album: The Mountain - r/Haken". Reddit. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ "ROSS JENNINGS – Acoustic Shadows (July 16th, 2021)". Sonic Perspectives. 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ Ross Jennings - 'Words We Can't Unsay' - Acoustic (Live at AfterLive Music). Ross Jennings Official. 2021-10-20. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ross Jennings - 'Feelings' - Acoustic (Live at AfterLive Music). Ross Jennings Official. 2021-11-24. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via YouTube.
- ^ Jennings, Ross [@RossWJennings] (November 15, 2021). "With regret I announce the cancellation of my UK Acoustic dates. Due to the ongoing situation surrounding COVID-19 this was the most beneficial scenario for all involved. Apologies for any inconveniences caused. Refunds available. London @jongomm show unaffected. https://t.co/lK2DA0RlpI" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Too Tired For Sleep, by REDADOS". REDADOS. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ Acoustic Shadows (Live at AfterLive Music), 2022-01-28, retrieved 2022-02-03
- ^ "ＲＯＳＳ ＪＥＮＮＩＮＧＳ (@rossjenningsofficial) on Instagram | Ghostarchive". ghostarchive.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ Jennings, Ross [@RossWJennings] (January 28, 2022). "My official debut live solo acoustic performance is now available to stream & download! Featuring stripped back songs from 'A Shadow of my Future Self' plus @novenabanduk & @Haken_Official Produced by @afterlivemusic The video performance is available at https://t.co/Oa1xYK44n1 https://t.co/tF2Lop5yCe" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via Twitter.
- ^ The Prog Yak (November 29, 2021). "Ross Jennings – 'A Shadow of my Future Self' (Album Review)". www.progradio.com.
- ^ "Ross Jennings – A Shadow Of My Future Self (Album Review)". Sonic Perspectives. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ Mind, The Prog (2021-11-12). "Ross Jennings – A Shadow of My Future Self". The PROG Mind. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ kruekutt (2021-11-12). "Rick's Quick Takes for November". Progarchy. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
- ^ Jennings, Ross [@RossWJennings] (November 24, 2021). "I am stunned to learn that I have been nominated for 6 out of 8 categories in this year's @theprogreport awards! Vote here: https://t.co/lPAa2NHwKr '𝑨 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝑶𝒇 𝑴𝒚 𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇' is OUT NOW on CD & Double Vinyl: https://t.co/Ey6GfGhGRJ https://t.co/uzZeRGDoRf" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2022-12-04 – via Twitter.