“It’s My Time” from Roger Jaeger

Americana is making the sort of comeback that legends are made of in 2021, and you needn’t look much further than the pristine melodies of the new single “It’s My Time” from Roger Jaeger to understand what I mean. Steeped in much of the pop simplicity one would associate with contemporary indie rock and minimalist efforts from the mainstream singer/songwriters trending at the moment, there’s a lot in common between “It’s My Time” and the trending pop music we’re hearing around North America right now. That said, scarcely have I heard someone as keen to strike up a harmony where others would merely insert instrumental bombast as Roger Jaeger is here. 

URL: https://www.rogerjaegermusic.com/

The clandestine rock overtones in the song structure are difficult to ignore no matter how cursory a listening session you afford this single, but I wouldn’t say that they influence the way the hook unfolds. The climax of “It’s My Time” is built on top of an almost countrified relationship between the strings and the vocals in this piece, and I say that because of how removed from the other instrumental componentry their harmony is. It’s all the more epic when looking at the cut-and-dry video for the song, which is arguably as intriguing a work as its source material is. 

Jaeger’s lead vocal is the softest of the melodic elements in this single, but it doesn’t feel overly lush beside the other parts of the track. One of the best features “It’s My Time” has going for it is its template-like construction, which leaves performances of the song open to whatever direction this artist sees fit to take it. I’d love to hear him play this one in person some time, and whether that moment comes sooner or later, I have a feeling we’re getting a good sample of what it would sound like in this track’s recently released music video. 

I really love the melodicism that the string parts bring to the mix here, and there’s no better backdrop for them to adorn than one as straightforward as this. Roger Jaeger comes across to me as an artist who doesn’t have any time for the overthought conceptualisms of his competition – he’s got too much emotion to share with us, and he isn’t about to let anything come between his audience and the message he seeks to unleash in a song like “It’s My Time.” 

You don’t have to dig the trend to fall head over heels for Roger Jaeger’s sound in this latest single, but for those who have a soft spot for the burgeoning indie folk/pop movement we’re starting to see come to a fever pitch in 2021, he’s an artist I would be paying special attention to at the moment. “It’s My Time” really says it all in its title – this is a player who isn’t about to ride in the backseat for the entirety of his career, and here, he’s putting himself out there for the fans in a way critics like myself have no choice but to respect. 

Mindy McCall