Jess and the Ancient Ones – The Horse and Other Weird Tales (Review)

Jess and the Ancient Ones are an occult rock band from Finland and this is their third album.

This is quirky and expressive retro-styled rock, with plenty of personality and idiosyncrasies.

Sultry, charismatic vocals are provided by the aforementioned Jess. Her voice has a wide range and oceans of depth, and she dominates the album, despite the equally high quality levels of the music itself. Her presence and performance can’t be denied.

The music itself has a firm presence all of its own, of course. Organic and involved, with psychedelic complexity powered by three guitarists, it’s rich, textured, and full of decades-old esoteric songcrafting knowledge.

The songs are concise and focused, despite being expansive and exploratory. Catchy and full of hooks, this is warm and personable music, instantly welcoming with its well-rounded and holistic approach to occult-styled rock.

Varied and diverse, while still following a central theme, this album may be relatively brief at only 35 minutes in length, but every second of it drips with quality and a certain gratification that comes from music that’s obviously loved and well-pieced-together.

With worthy songs and characterful delivery, this is a strong and enjoyable album for anyone looking to visit a style of proto-rock/metal from fifty years or so ago, as viewed through the smoky, tinted lenses of talented contemporary musicians.

Highly recommended. I bet this is amazing live.