Kevin Bronson on February 14th, 2020

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South Florida native Jacob Jeffries makes sharp pop-rock reminiscent of ’90s radio gods such as Ben Folds, Gin Blossoms and the Wallflowers. Back in the day, the group he fronted released a handful of albums, before Jeffries matriculated to L.A., where he’s been writing music for film and television and performing in the musical comedy group the Cooties.

His 2018 solo album “Mother Land” featured contributions from Theo Katzman (Vulfpeck), Arianna Powell (Black Eyed Peas), Hayley Jane Batt (BØRNS) and Grammy-winning producer Dan Warner, among others, and now Jeffries’ is prepping the release of a new album, “Añejo.”

Jeffries’ new single “Let You Down” reveals his penchant for bright melodies and brisk tempos counterposed against downbeat thematic matter. So file it under bummer pop when he sings, wistfully, “I can say everything you always wanted to hear but I know / I’m only gonna let you down.” Indeed, the songwriter explains, it’s “a song about accepting that things just aren’t the same anymore and freeing yourself of hoping they’ll be different someday. Letting loose and letting go.”

The star of the show in the video for Jeffries’ song is dancer Jessalyn Brooks, who pops a cassette into a portable player and flits, gyrates and twirls throughout downtown L.A. The process of moving on could hardly be conveyed more energetically — in fact, you might be exhausted just watching. But there’s some symbolism in the fact that when she finally ascends the rooftop of a loft building in downtown L.A., there’s one heck of a view.

||| Watch: The video for “Let You Down”