Time Goes By: A Brief Review Of The New Collaborative Album From Tony Jay And The Moment Of Nightfall

During that recent tour of Japan, Tony Jay managed to team up with Tokyo-based band The Moment of Nightfall. The result is Winter Dream, an album that seems to live up every bit to its evocative title. This is music that is perfectly pitched, and ideally suited to the contemplative time of year.

This release is a good deal more straightforward in approach than what was on that 2023 Slumberland Records album from Tony Jay. That said, Winter Dream blends the same sort of hazy pleasures with a very distinct Galaxie 500-inspired vibe which runs through every track.

Opener "kori no mori (Ice Forest)" is likely to earn even more such comparisons, sounding like "Blue Thunder" and "When Will You Come Home" as it does. What makes this a memorable standout here is the vocal performance from Tony Jay which anchors this to a point in a shifting, gauzy atmosphere. The twang-y "Time Goes By" is a bit more robust, though it too is like the soundtrack of a dream. I think I've said that about a few Tony Jay recordings by this point, but there's no better description for music that aches with the regret of a beautiful dream barely remembered. "Angel" is as minimal as can be, with hushed vocals from both bands mingling atop the simplest Young Marble Giants-y guitar hook you could imagine. Elsewhere, "Tell Me Why" burns with a sort of quiet intensity, droning Spacemen 3-style guitars churning under a mélange of voices.

A more reserved take on earlier Tony Jay forms, this collaboration with The Moment of Nightfall stands as a very special offering. The six tracks here are elegant and precise, and somehow still full of emotion. Winter Dream is named after the chilliest season, but there is real warmth in the grooves of this record.

Details on this Winter Dream by The Moment of Nightfall and Tony Jay is out on KiliKiliVilla Records. Details via the Bandcamp link.

[Photo: The Moment of Nightfall and Tony Jay]