Chasing The Chimera

S. Holden Jaffe’s third record as Del Water Gap takes a decidedly lighter touch than its predecessor, 2023’s stormy <i>I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet</i>. The arrangements on these 12 songs are airy and spacious, a result of producer and songwriter Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Angel Olsen) joining Jaffe and frequent collaborator Gabe Goodman in the studio. The result is a mature evolution of Jaffe’s alt-pop sound, sounding a little older and a lot wiser while still exploring the thorny matters of the heart that he’s become known for. COVID-era flings are cheekily referenced in the breezy folk rock of “Ghost in the Uniform”, and Jaffe wraps himself in a wreath of guitars on “Small Town Joan of Arc” while reflecting on a romantic paramour who’s “All out of Lexapro/With a head full of scotch.” At times, <i>Chasing the Chimera</i> recalls a more expansive take on Phoebe Bridgers’ raw and intimate songwriting style—but Jaffe is far from playing the role of imitator here, instead offering a full-bodied varietal of his increasingly distinct songwriting flavour.