SG55: Coolhand Jax - Proper Fun [Album]
Coolhand Jax is the solo pop project of Los Angeles-based artist Jake Weissman. Proper Fun is Weissman’s debut full length album, following both his 2020 debut EP No Dreams of Anything and his sophomore EP Superstar Baby - each release has been a dazzling continuation of his 80’s inspired take on lo-fi psychedelic pop.
In Proper Fun, Weissman expands this tenfold, packing to the brim with lush melodies, groovy, yet sturdy basslines, and reverb-drenched vocals. Vivid tracks like “The Matinee” and the larger-than-life, mileLi-a-minute ballad “On the TV,” exploding with bright menageries of color, prove Coolhand Jax’s staggering expansiveness; this is something that is, ironically, even further emphasized when alongside the slower, slightly more whimsical tracks like “Days Go By” and “8th and 84th,” showing Weissmann’s softer side. Ultimately, Proper Fun is an apt title, and a brilliantly ironic one at that; akin to desperately leaning up against a door threatening to burst, it cheekily alludes to the sheer vitality and joy that lies within, should you give in and turn the handle.
Listen / Stream - Cassette Tape