On top of his longtime role as production hero to beloved Pacific Northwest acts like Mount Eerie and Apollo Ghosts, Vancouver’s Jay Arner has established a fruitful solo career over the past few years, and it’s safe to say there’s no one quite like him. With toes dipped into psychedelia, glam rock, and several eras of Eno, he’s cultivated strikingly fresh dream worlds since his self-titled debut.
“Crystal Ball” off natural next step Jay II reveals Arner’s aptitude for crafting the perfect pop song—with the quick chop of some sunny guitars and the occasional shooting synth lines he blows away the last of our day job ennui. The video features the band jamming out and dancing in their own crystal ball, having broken free of the daily grind. “Go get another job you hate,” Arner croons, never one to shy from a heavy dose of realism, but the sweet ring of the melody is enough to set us at ease for a while. Director Jessica Delisle—who also makes dreamy, synth-laden pop tunes with Arner in Energy Slime—says the video “officially marks the beginning of Jay’s ‘blazer phase.'” We can see the future for the low price of $420.69, and it’s looking promising.
Jay II is out today on Mint Records in Canada and Midheaven in the US, and you can stream it in full on Arner’s bandcamp.
