Singer-composer-guitarist Joel Jerome has no problem being told that his music is all over the place because, in his case, that’s a compliment. Even a cursory listen to his newest album “Chasing” reveals that he’s adept at writing and performing different styles of songs.
The easygoing, Neil Young-ish “Our Love” is a straight-ahead folkie love song. “Peaks and Valleys,” a poppy, driving tune that would have fit into the soundtrack of the ’60s, addresses the joys and difficulties of living life. “Next High” is a downbeat, very personal piece that looks at the drug abuse problems he saw going on around him in his hometown of Raymond, Maine. “Answering the Call” is a good, old-fashioned story song about the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Wasp in World War II, with Jerome’s grandfather, who survived the attack, at the center of the tale.