As the bass player for Father John Misty, Jeffertitti follows a straight-forward path of a pre-destined groove. While he does well and there’s no doubt playing for a successful somewhat mainstream artist pays the bills. But outside financial stability, the gig of an on-rails musician could be seen as a disservice to artistry. Especially when Jeffertitti is far more interesting than a simple for-hire musician. Going under the stage name Jeffertitti Moon, he has a handful of side-projects for a much needed creative outlet. In this case, it’s Jeffertitti’s Nile and his album The Entire Universe.
Now that I think of it, I could very well have this title wrong. Maybe The Entire Universe is the band name and the Jeffertitti’s Nile is simply the title of the presentation. But if that’s the case, what does the Nile have to do with anything? Are you confused yet? Don’t worry, I am too.
For all intents and purposes, The Entire Universe defies proper labels as much as it defies genre and sound. One minute it is galloping through a casual garage romp like Thee Oh Sees meets Strand Of Oaks with “Just Don’t”. While a few tracks later channels T-Rex with “Kingdom Come”. In between, there’s power pop, raga rock, and glam flavored psychedelica with my favorite track “Can’t They Hear”. Closing out the record is “Let Love Inn”, and it combines every vibe introduced in every other song, jumbled up into a single showcase of what Jeffertitti’s Nile is all about.
Are you still confused? Yeah me too. But that’s the beauty of this record and band. It’s essentially a celebration of noise, color, and sonic trajectory. There is absolutely no cohesive path for any instrument. No story structure for lyrics. No glossy over-produced studio trickery. And most importantly, no eye-rolling pretentiousness. Just a wash of harmonious love and music just as the cover art (by world-renown artist Ernesto Muniz and lettering by Gret Mateides) suggests. The Entire Universe is an album to be experienced and Jeffertitti’s Nile is an artist, band, stage name, or whatever, to be watched. I have a feeling he could be the current generation’s Bowie!
The Entire Universe is available on limited edition vinyl and digitally from Nomad Eel Records
