Proving that she can do it live just as easily as she can in the studio, Thoughts That Keep Me Up At Night is a brace of songs recorded in the gig environment. I mention this because so few artists release live tracks these days, as if they are embarrassed by the rawer production or the shouts and audience noise, as if that is not the essence of music in its purest form.
Sure, the studio version of this music is different; here, you lose some of the precision, the instrument separation, the polish, but for us who have grown up going to gigs, we understand that there is a massive difference in the two forms. But what you might lose is balanced out by honesty, personal charm, and authenticity. And these are the selling points here.
Both songs found here, “Just For One Night” and “Taylor,” walk that fine line between the pop and rock worlds, straddling the understated and the anthemic. Unlike the studio versions, the live songs start more restrained and end up more explosive; the dynamic is bigger, the sonic rise more pronounced, and the experience more magical. This is the sound of the artist with nothing to hide, and indeed nothing to hide behind; this is the sound of the artist baring their sonic soul.
Thoughts That Keep Me Up At Night not only reminds us of what a great singer and songwriter Jess Yaffa is, but it reminds us of what a great night out a live show is. Hers in particular.
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