Jesse Younan – A Good Day For a Migraine

A Good Day For a Migraine – Jesse Younan

By Chris Peken

Jesse Younan sets himself apart from the “another man, another guitar, another singer/songwriter” pack in two ways. Firstly Younan’s is one of the more talented acoustic guitarists treading the boards, his fine picking style sitting him somewhere between the folk of Richard Thompson and the the blues of Tim Buckley. And secondly the Tim Buckley compassion doesn’t stop there, for there are moments, flashes, when Younan’s finely timbered mellifluous vocals begin to soar in a way that touches on the Buckleyesque (without reaching the vertigo inspiring heights that only Tim Buckley could). Take Something Beautiful being the most obvious example, a beautifully melancholy number (it’s a wonder what a minor key can do) that sits quietly over the subtlest of guitar lines and the hint of violins before slowly releasing a soaring vocal without ever needing to let the instruments follow. This bravery and departure from the obvious is what makes A Good Day For a Migraine a cut above the usual fare. Later forays around electronica – C’est La Vie – don’t work quiet as well, but a Knofler-like closure to the album in the form of Hot Shot further showcases what Younan is capable of – great tenderness and impressive expressiveness.

*** 1/2