Jake Manzi has a knack for pop hooks, but the Western Massachusetts singer and songwriter doesn’t make a big deal of it on Here She Comes, his second full-length album.
He doesn’t need to. The 13 songs on Here She Comes are unerringly self-assured, but never flashy. Rather than demanding your attention, Manzi keeps things low-key, as if he’s aware that what he’s doing is something plenty of listeners will want to hear without him chasing them around. His sensibility as a songwriter belies his relative youth as he explores love in its various forms. He’s eager to rush in headlong on opener “Be the Fool,” watching it all fall apart on the mournful “Don’t Work Anymore” and trying to find a middle ground on “Get Along,” a breezy song full of jangly guitars and a catchy, wistful melody.
It’s a standout track on “Here She Comes,” which Manzi recorded with Caleb Rosazza of LuxDeluxe at Rosazza’s studio in Williamburg and at SpiritHouse Music in Longmeadow. Rosazza played guitar on the album, which also includes LuxDeluxe’s Jacob Rosazza on bass and Dawes’ Griffin Goldsmith on drums. Together, they’re a versatile crew. Slide guitar lends a rootsy folk-pop feel to “Cry All My Tears,” while bass and drums lock into a playful groove on “Fun to Pretend” with flourishes from guitar augmenting Manzi’s tousled vocals. The rhythm section defines “Be the Fool,” too, serving up a lightly chugging beat that combines with Manzi’s voice and melody in a way that calls to mind some of Elvis Costello’s early, poppier songs.
Despite echoes here and there of other artists (y’know, influences), Manzi is doing his own thing in his own way. The result is an album of sophisticated pop songs that are smart and catchy, and that’s kind of a big deal.
Jake Manzi performs Friday, Sept. 8, at the Drake in Amherst, with Wallace Field. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.