Following Jameson McGregor's trajectory as an alternative indie artist has been interesting and gratifying. His first full-length release in 2016, Wild One, was an alternative rock / indie worship that was deep and thoughtful (think something along the lines of John Mark McMillan). He followed that up with two EPs before releasing his second full-length album, Wearing Thin, which was more singer-songwriter style (acoustic guitar and strings with an alternative edge), and dealt with anxiety. A Terrible Gift continued that style, but revolved around the passing of his father and processing his grief. Although very different, all three of these albums have been deeply impactful, making it clear that Jameson McGregor is a skilled musical artist and lyricist with whatever he sets his mind to. Even so, with his latest full-length release, Peregrine, it was still surprising to find the album loaded with drum machines, synths, and highly stylized vocal effects.

Peregrine is a spiritual autobiography with each song being a chronological look at various stages of his life starting at age 9. The story goes all the way up to college with the final two songs, "Empty Tomb" and "Basements." The outro, "Basements," even sounds more akin to his previous releases, giving the album a complete narrative arc. There are strong themes of losing certainty in elements of his faith and also a need to feel control. It is a focused reflection on his childhood, though the varied musical palette and funny stories (especially "Peregrine" and "Cringe") give the album a more lighthearted feel than the lyrics might otherwise suggest.

Musically, this record is most often comprised of some amount of Hammond organ, synths, bass, and drums. Also mixed in to a lesser degree are acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and piano. There's a decent amount of energy throughout, but it does slow down a couple of times for "Forms" and "Empty Tomb." The Hammond organ sound is an interesting thread that weaves its way through each song, possibly as a way to point back in time through nostalgic sound. Three songs have significant vocal effects: "Britannica," "Forms," and "Pryefly." "Britannica" uses a high-pitched kid-ish sounding vocal singing alongside his normal deep and clear vocals. "Forms," a song about Jameson's experience with a predatory camp counselor, has Jameson singing with a voice distorter effect, maybe to add to the unsettling nature of the song. "Pryefly" uses an extreme amount of autotune to signify the contents of an alarming dream before closing the song in his normal voice, "I was sixteen then / And terrified / I'd missed out on / My whole life / I was sixteen then / Only dreaming / But I remember it more clearly / Than my high school graduation."

Once the surprising sound loses its shock value, it's clear to see that this is the same Jameson McGregor who leaves us thinking deeply about faith and life. The left field musical choices and autobiographical theme of this album might make you think that this is not a particularly repayable album, but there's something really easy about just putting Peregrine back on right from the top. The retrospective nature of this release will likely find you examining and pondering your spiritual journey, especially if you've been following Christ since your childhood or had some kind of Christian upbringing. It's not exactly a casual listen, but if you are looking for something thoughtful, engaging, and different, give Peregrine a try.

- Review date: 8/7/25, written by Christopher Smith of Jesusfreakhideout.com

 

 Record Label: None
 Album length: 9 tracks: 25 minutes, 55 seconds
 Street Date: August 8, 2025
 Buy It: Bandcamp

Peregrine (1:54) Brittanica (1:55) Cringe (2:21) Forms (2:18) Everything But (2:35) Pyrefly (4:13) Broad Place (3:36) Empty Tomb (3:27) Basements (3:41)