Local Review: Jacob T. Skeen — They Won’t Let Me

Jacob T. Skeen
They Won’t Let Me
Self-Released
Street: 03.01.25
Jacob T. Skeen = Black Sabbath + Nirvana’s Bleach + Layne Staley

Jacob T. Skeen returns in 2025 with the two-song EP They Won’t Let Me, seemingly espousing newfound, unbridled fury and a fuller, heavier sound to match.

Skeen, a mono-instrumentalist, has been a steady force in Salt Lake’s local music scene for years. His repertoire stands out with its vivacious live performances, full of shock, awe and moshing from the crowd as Skeen hammers away on guitar, drums and mic all at once. He has also been consistent in putting out projects that showcase his evolving sensibilities; genre-wise, Skeen’s discography extends outwards from garage rock and delves into dark, rocket-fueled punk, surf psych and porch-worthy roots rock.

On this new offering, Skeen seems to have grown simultaneously more energetic and darker, even compared to last year’s Telestial. Is that a bass I hear? Unsure. Regardless, on “Away From You,” Skeen’s fuzzed-up guitar chugs away like a high-powered diesel engine, hitting fast and cutting deep. The tempo is up, and the man is angry — or hurt. His vocals on both tracks are reminiscent of Layne Staley from Alice in Chains, albeit with less of a growl and more of a pained yell that echoes like it’s bounding off the towering, bloodied walls of an ancient colosseum. I would call it “arena punk,” but that’s not a real thing and anyways, arena rock tends to be self-glorifying. “Away From You” may sound like an anthem, but it’s more like two verses and two choruses of a confession in all caps, a reflection on a failed relationship and the confusion that results. “I don’t know what I’m gonna say,” Skeen yells. “I don’t know what to do.” And later, “My mistakes are ones I’m gonna have to live up to.”

“Away From You” ends abruptly at slightly under two minutes, but I think it’s fitting — the song serves as a short burst of anger caused by lamentations over a significant loss. I’m willing to say we’ve all experienced something similar.

While the title track, “They Won’t Let Me,” continues with this same up-tempo moodiness, Skeen’s vulnerability has disappeared. His crooning is even more strained, and the crunch of the repetitive guitar riff communicates the loud distaste he’s feeling because of some oppressive outside force. The chorus is him yelling “Yeah, yeah,” while the verses induce notions of Big Brother-imposed solitude and ensnarement. “Think of all the times I’ve been shot down / Tripped and stumbled, always tossed around / When I try to get up off the ground / They won’t let me,” he sings.

Skeen’s new EP comes in at under four minutes total, but its brevity is almost necessitated by its subject material. Outbursts like these are notoriously short-lived — in all of us. That doesn’t mean they’re not powerful or destructive.

Listen to They Won’t Let Me on Spotify or Bandcamp. You can also follow Skeen on Instagram at @jacob_t_skeen. —Kyle Forbush

Read more Local Reviews from SLUG here:
Local Review: Gracemaker — EP
Local Music Singles Roundup: April 2025