Singer-songwriter James Austin Melton unveils a masterclass in acoustic storytelling with his two-song release Adaptive Fiction, a hauntingly beautiful fusion of folk intimacy and jazz exploration. Recorded in a single July 2024 session at Soundplex Studios with additional home recordings, this double single showcases Melton’s gift for weaving complex emotions into deceptively simple musical tapestries.
The collection opens with “Pillow’s Door”, a dreamlike meditation on nocturnal escapism that floats effortlessly through shifting keys and time signatures. Melton’s warm acoustic guitar and vocals blend seamlessly with Adam Gresko and Trevor Rogers’ subtle percussion and Gabe Preston’s wistful alto sax, creating a soundscape that mirrors the elusive nature of dreams themselves. The track’s genius lies in its ability to feel both meticulously composed and completely organic, like half-remembered fragments of a vivid night vision.
The 15-minute title track “Adaptive Fiction” reveals Melton’s more ambitious side, unfolding as an immersive journey through toxic longing and self-deception. Augmented by Zane Carnes’ resonant double bass and Grace Lee Asuncion’s shimmering vibraphone, the extended composition moves through carefully structured sections before dissolving into cathartic group improvisation. This is folk-jazz at its most psychologically penetrating – a musical Rorschach test that invites listeners to project their own narratives onto Melton’s lyrical canvas.
Adaptive Fiction confirms James Austin Melton as a singular voice in contemporary acoustic music. These two tracks – one a concise dreamscape, the other an expansive emotional odyssey – demonstrate his rare ability to marry poetic depth with musical sophistication. A quietly revelatory release.
