Jordan Krimston - Somewhere I Might Go (2023) Hi-Res

It’s been two years since Jordan Krimston released his effervescent debut Bushwhacking, and suffice it to say he’s kept busy. Between a handful of massive tours drumming for Oso Oso, contributing to many of San Diego’s most exciting projects, and amassing a staggering CV of production and engineering credits, we could (almost) forgive him for pumping the brakes on a solo follow-up. Instead, restless spirit that he is, Krimston made time to write and record 11 pop gems for Somewhere I Might Go, an album that more-than-adequately showcases the breadth of his talents. Krimston’s razor-sharp melodic sense is at its most refined here, scraping the ecstatic heights of classic power pop without need for retro pastiche. Instead, the production (courtesy of Krimston himself, along with close collaborator Daniel Charlson) positively glistens; each track reveals rich layers of texture and micro-melodies that buoy, but never distract from, the songwriting.

Somewhere boasts a more subdued sound than the debut, but still threatens to explode at the right moments: refer to the heart-swelling instrumental break in “Cycling.” The front half of Somewhere features some of Krimston’s most patently romantic writing yet (“Once We Start,” “Fall With You”), but as the tracklist progresses, it becomes shaded by the effects of time spent away. Concerned less with the mania of touring than with what comes after, these songs are softened by a compassionate pragmatism; “You’re heavy on my mind, heavy on my heart…” he sings on “Off Chance,” “for now.”

While lyrically introspective, Somewhere features an expansive list of collaborators and contributors, including members of the Obsessives, Prince Daddy and the Hyena, and his bandmates in Weatherbox and Band Argument. Near or far, it’s evident that Krimston keeps good company wherever he might go; for us listeners, the exciting part is seeing where that might be.