Album review: Project Jenny, Project Jan - The Colors EP

PROJECT JENNY, PROJECT JAN
THE COLORS EP
(Might Records)

The new EP (out on Tuesday, April 14) from Brooklyn's Project Jenny, Project Jan is the band's best effort to date, but that's not the surprising thing about it. Quite a few acts have followed up an amazing debut with an even more outstanding EP. The Colors EP continues to stretch the duo's abilities. The new songs are more diverse, more complex, and more layered than their previous efforts, but the boys haven't strayed so far off course to be unrecognizable. It's the sort of progession that you wish all bands would take. So I bet you're waiting for the twist, right? Well, on this EP, Project Jenny, Project Jan enlist the help of some friends on each track, such as Fujiya & Miyagi, Mixel Pixel, and So Percussion. The surprise is that The Colors EP isn't only the best thing Project Jenny, Project Jan have done, but it may also be the best work of some of the guest acts as well.

I'd be lying if I said I knew all of the acts that guest on The Colors EP, but I do know a few of them well enough. I have seen Fujiya & Miyagi live a few times and gave their record a spin, but they have never really grabbed me. However, when they mix it up with Project Jenny, Project Jan on "Pins and Needles," the results are simply amazing. Mixel Pixel collaborate on a track called "Rainbows," which is probably the trio's best song since their 2006 album, Music for Plants.

Ultimately, The Colors EP is definitely more than the sum of it's amazing parts with each band performing at their peak. However, this does create at least one problem for Project Jenny, Project Jan. Unless they pull off something completely amazing for their next full length record, they are going to be accused of having the dreaded sophomore slump. Though after this record, it wouldn't shock me if the band already had something phenomenal planned to prevent any such accusations.

www.projectjennyprojectjan.com
www.mightrecords.com