EP Review: Our Great Nation

You wouldn’t be able to guess what sort of music you’re in for just by looking at the cover artwork. Hues of aquamarine and purple dominate, and in the centre, an artistic rendering of a million marching soldiers bearing flags, albeit created using AI. Not even the record title Our Great Nation gives much away; could it be electronic music? Is it progressive rock? Or maybe even spoken-word?

Based in Waiuku, Jacob Blair Tait is an award-winning musician and composer who has worked on short films, TV series, and movies. His work has been utilised on the likes of The Tavern, Sunny Side of Ngongotaha, The Everlasting No, The Curse of Bondville and more. Colour me intrigued.

Foreboding piano keys lead the way, while synthesised strings create an air of tension. The eeriness swells as the piano dances and trots out as the Intro. Yup, this is instrumental music after all.

The EP very much resembles an orchestral suite, divided into six suites. Each track – or suite – seems to serve a purpose. Some are a little incidental, maybe helping illustrate the development of a story. Others are packed with action, like Exhaustion, while pieces like The Last Supper – Interpretation feel more delicate and nurtured.

Undoubtedly, the highlight track is The Sculptor. Cavernous horn sections and urgent strings give off tremendous Hans Zimmer vibes. You know those mind-twisting scenes in the film Inception when all the skyscrapers fold up overhead? This would’ve fit perfectly to that. A tremendous sense of wonder is amplified by deep bass rumbles, as though highlighting a ground-breaking, history-defining event. A futuristic vibe is evoked near the end of The Sculptor as electronically processed vocals echo and generates a somewhat space-age and science fiction feel.

With such a puzzling EP title, and equally cryptic track names and artwork to match, I did wonder what the overarching story is that this music is illustrating.

What is the narrative in Mr Tait’s head that inspired these pieces? Is it perhaps a post-apocalyptic tale of an anti-hero whose dark past has driven him to launch a resistance against some self-proclaimed “Great Nation”?

Or would it better serve as a soundtrack to a sci-fi tale of disaster and destruction? I can envision huge earthquakes, enormous tidal waves sweeping into collapsing city buildings, certainly during the title track, Our Great Nation. Give it a listen and tell me you don’t picture some kind of apocalypse too.

(Okay, fine, maybe that’s just me. I love disaster films and adore sci-fi thrillers, so maybe there’s some bias)

This EP is intense, it’s mesmerising, and it’s engaging. Our Great Nation showcases Jacob Blair Tait’s ability to aurally paint an epic setting, letting the listener fill in the story’s blanks themselves. The dark tones and dynamic changes certainly sparks imagination and brings out all sorts of stories.

It’s not hard to see why Mr Tait’s efforts work so well in conjunction with visual media. Be it in television series, films, or maybe in future, even video games, this EP showcases his great potential in adding gravitas and dynamism by way of orchestral accompaniments. Genuinely stunning stuff.

Listen to Jacob Blair Tait’s debut EP on Spotify, Apple Music, or download via Disco!