Ears Wide Open: Spectre Jones

Kevin Bronson on March 1st, 2022

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Spectre Jones don’t so much as make rock ’n’ roll as they gang-tackle it.

The quintet, which has its roots at Pepperdine University, features Wilson Howard on vocals and bass, Alexa Shafer on drums, Brett Stratemeyer on synth, Jacob Williams on guitar and synth, and John Lowell Anderson on guitar and synth. From the release of their first single back in 2017, they’ve made feel-good a moral imperative — they’re the latest in a decade-plus’ worth of stomp-clap-and-holler bands who utilize caffeinated rhythms and gang vocals to ward off emotional goblins.

After releasing an EP and a handful of singles — and having notable success in syncing their music for film and TV — Spectre Jones are speeding toward the release of their debut full-length, “Joy In the Morning.” The crowd-funded album, made with producer-engineer James Krausse at Boulevard Recordings, is out Friday.

“Trouble,” released today, is the final single before the album’s release. The band describes it as the antidote to the “it is what it is” attitude. It follows the power ballad “Control,” released in February, and the synth-spiked “Sisters & Brothers.” The latter comes with a message you’ve heard before but nonetheless still applies: “Sisters and brothers / … we got to learn to love one another.”

||| Stream: “Trouble”