JRNY:
Jordan Ward and Joony, hot off the successes of their respective 2023 releases (Forward in Ward’s case, and Memento in Joony’s), have come together to produce their newest collaboration EP, JRNY. With Ward citing Joony as a past creative inspiration, their evident chemistry works wonders on this project as they blend diverse hip-hop and R&B sounds.
The project opens with a brief intro track, “JRNYRADIO,” which follows a woman starting a car while starting the radio. Presumably the intent of this track was to set the tone and intention for the proceeding tracks, namely, their more casual radio-friendly sound. However, this track felt a bit unnecessary given the brevity of the project as there just isn’t a ton of time/tracks to develop a setting or aesthetic through interludes on a 6 track EP.
The following track, “Homebody” establishes the blended hip-hop and R&B styles that unfold throughout the rest of the project. The chopped-up high-pitched vocal samples combined with the soft bassy synths give the track a very balanced feel, instrumentally. The soft layering of these two elements combined with the absence of drums makes the track feel slow and contemplative, playing well into its lyrical themes. I have mixed feelings about the track lyrically. I found Joony’s introspective verses regarding his dissatisfaction with his lavish yet vapid lifestyle particularly impactful and well-executed. However, Ward’s verses take a completely opposite direction discussing his recent successes and relationships, giving the track inconsistent and conflicting lyrical themes. I find that an additional Joony verse besides the choruses might have been able to flesh out the track a bit more lyrically.
Proceeding this, “Jealousy” stands as a major highlight in the track list. The beat feels significantly peppier in this track with prominent kickdrums and a soft meandering synth in a style reminiscent of Ward’s previous record Forward. The pleasing vocal performances harmonize well the instrumentals, combining the superb playing with catchy hooks and choruses. In terms of contributions, I feel like both artists’ verses are well-structured and consistent with some interesting harmonizations between the two during the choruses. This track, the front runner on the EP, is just an all-around well-crafted R&B groove.
With another stellar vocal performance from both artists, “One Too Many Times” employs soft harmonizations and vocal distortions over bassy drumbeats, giving the track a very mellow/chilled aesthetic. The track develops “layered” vocals during the bridge, giving it the impression of a back-and-forth exchange of sorts. It plays into the relationship strife depicted lyrically, in addition to pleasing sonically. I do find it somewhat dissatisfying that these layered vocals and harmonies were only developed in a single verse and in general. Although I enjoy Joony’s vocals, I found the chorus very played-out by the end of the track.
Bringing the record back up to a high-note, “Burning Rubber” is yet another incredibly catchy R&B groove with a very infectious energy to it. The upbeat keys and drumbeats instrumental-wise supply a cheery and peppy energy that is well-suited to Ward’s vocal range as well. I find the track interesting from a lyrical standpoint as well as there’s a bit of a role-reversal from the previous track where instead of Ward trying to mend a damaged relationship, he is trying to exit one (going so far as to say he just might not be meant for meant for love). If I had to offer a critique here, I would say that Joony’s contributions and presence isn’t super felt and I think a solid verse or two from him could’ve really elevated this track even further.
Concluding the project, “Embargo” features a more reserved, lo-fi-sounding beat with a very prominent and meandering bassline. The slower tempo of the instrumental effectively sets the scene for the introspective lyricism seen here. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Ward discussing his opulent lifestyle while repeating “Still want a little bit more” in the choruses, drawing contrasts between material wealth and deeper satisfaction. Although this track was interesting in certain regards, something about it felt a bit underdeveloped and so it doesn’t hold up quite as much to tracks like “Burning Rubber” and “Jealousy.”
To put it bluntly, this project felt rather mediocre. I give this assessment in the context of Ward’s and Joony’s previous projects, both of which were some of my favorite projects to come out of last year – but this collaboration project didn’t reach anywhere near the level of their previous work. The incredibly short duration of the project in combination with 4 of its 6 tracks being okay to mediocre really takes away from the project. Most of these “average” tracks just felt generally underdeveloped with room for expansion or improvement even if they were well-produced or sonically pleasing. The highpoints of this project stood incredibly high, however. “Jealousy” and “Burning Rubber” are incredibly catchy and fun to listen to, making them instant classics within the artists’ respective catalogs. Although I’m uncertain of any extraneous factors that may have contributed to the project’s quality, I hope to see developments on these high-points with a bit more consistency across the track listing for a more fleshed-out project(s) in the future.
Cool World:
Cool World, the sophomore record from Oklahoma hardcore band Chat Pile, comes fresh off the heels of their previous record God’s Country in 2022. This record features similar diverse instrumentation and styles with their characteristically nihilistic themes and lyrics. This record tackles a variety of themes and topics, from war to climate-change and 1980’s horror fan fiction.
The record opens in a thunderous fashion with the track, “I Am Dog Now.” Its choppy riffs and crashing drumbeats combined with intense screamed vocals establish its dramatic tone from the beginning of the track. Repetition is a heavy motif of this track both instrumentally and lyrically with similar choppy riffs continuing throughout the track and the repeated “I am dog now” lyric. The track’s cryptic lyrics are sprinkled with deeply ingrained metaphors and apparent influences from Enlightenment philosopher Rousseau. I found this track to be an incredibly compelling opener that sets up the rest of the record well in terms of theme and tone.
Taking a more noise/hard rock approach, “Shame” follows. The heavy and nihilistic track uses imagery to depict the horrors of war that continue to plague certain regions and the disillusionment with its justification. I found the vocal performance another high point here with the more casual (non-screamed) vocals communicating the broader societal disinterest/apathy toward addressing these conflicts, despite the grotesque horrors they produce.
The following track, “Frownland,” delivers an incredible instrumental and vocal performance. There noticeable layering of different guitar riffs throughout the track, combined with incredibly hard-hitting drumlines, effectively establishes the uneasy tone of the track. Furthered by vocal alternations between screamed and spoken vocals, this tone is well represented through the dramatic “They don’t wanna hear what I have to say.” Although I do find the vocal performance incredibly compelling here, I did find the chorus to be a bit played-out by the end of the track as it seemed to gradually lose its impact as the track progressed.
A powerhouse of the track list follows. Entitled “Funny Man,” the track delivers much heavier instrumentals than the previous tracks up to this point. Heavy distortion applied to deep bassy riffs gives the track a grimy and grim aesthetic fitting in well with the anti-war sentiments presented in the track. There’s also an interesting lyrical symmetry with the first and final verses utilizing similar metaphors and lyrics with the notable change in subject from the speaker’s father to the speaker, emphasizing the cyclic/generational nature of conflict (which is again referenced at the end with “But the blood of my sons is just a new beginning”). This is by far my favorite track lyrically and in terms of vocalization. Raygun Busch delivers an incredible performance throughout to communicate the horrors of war inflicted on generations of lower income families and the feeling of indentured servitude associated with this.
“Camcorder” follows with its dramatic instrumentation established through crashing drumbeats and heavy, bassy riffs. The particular emphasis placed on instrumentation in this track through a prolonged intro and instrumental sections interspersed throughout really lets you appreciate the fullness of the guitar tones. The vocalizations feel very apathetic and make heavy use of repetition to emphasize the disillusionment and dissociation of the track’s subject (which was based on the 1986 film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer). I found the doom metal instrumentation in combination with the apathetic repeating lyrics creates an eeriness well-suited to the track’s inspiration while being incredibly well-put-together.
In what is probably the most haunting track on the record, “Tape” is described as a “tale of rural depravity”. Continuing some of the lyrical themes of the previous track, “tape” uses poignant diction to illustrate the horrors of stumbling upon the scene of a horrible deed. I found the lyrics, “Someone had to be horrified by what they had done” in the third verse and “We should have let someone know and they could have handled it” in the fourth verse (which was repeated twice). The conflicting emotions in these lines convey the shock of the situation so well and create a sort-of psychological horror for the listener. These powerful lyrics displayed over aggressive bass riffs make this track an instrumental and lyrical powerhouse and enable this track to be a highpoint on the track list.
Continuing their biting social commentaries, “The New World,” serves as a criticism of modern-day colonialism through another stellar vocal performance. I found the choruses to be particularly evocative with their repetition of “Most are dragged” and the screamed vocals during these sections of the track. This vocal performance and the language used effectively illustrates the savagery of colonial inquisition through the lens of the colonized. Although I do wish there was a bit more development of the verses as verse 2 seemed like a good jumping point for a concluding 3rd verse that never arrived which felt a bit unsatisfying.
“Masc” takes a different direction thematically while still conveying similar gloomy aesthetics over some of my favorite drum work on the record. The track seems to describe an abusive relationship in which the subject laments not only themselves but the cycle of trust and abuse they find themselves in. The dark lyrics, with lines like “I know I’m lower than scum,” evoke a profound sadness. I also found the drum work on this track very enthralling as they seem to pack a heavy punch that hasn’t been present up until this point.
Portraying similar anti-war themes as “Shame,” “Milk of Human Kindness” portrays the horrors of war through the perspective of a soldier presumably suffering from PTSD. There is an interesting dichotomy that’s created in which the soldier contrasts what he was told/informed of before and after a conflict. I loved the vocalizations after the chorus when repeating “I’d heard nothing about the way they burn.” These hauntingly screamed vocals are mournful and regretful providing incredible immersion. I found the chorus to be quite played out by the end of the track, however. The combination of their frequency in the second half of the track combined with their use of repetition made them feel stale quickly.
“No Way Out” closes out the record on a stunning high note. The instrumentation feels unique with its alternative/nu-metal choppy and alternating drumbeats and riffs. This track is by far my favorite track in terms of riffs. It also delivers a hard-hitting commentary on socio-economic divisions and the growing climate crisis, discussing how rhetoric has suppressed the issue with the world approaching a point of no return. While the track was simpler lyrically, I think that plays to its advantage, serving as a solid closer to the record.
With this project being my first introduction to the group, I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the record. The sounds were incredibly diverse and interesting, varying from sludge metal to punk to alternative metal and more. The vocal performance was just as much of a strength also. Raygun Busch delivered stunningly poignant performances while tackling heavy/serious topics which really elevated the commentary the band was attempting to deliver. The emotion of the project was very well conveyed lyrically also with tracks like “Tape” being especially haunting. I think my overall appeal for this record stems from how effectively it’s able to highlight the horrors of the human condition and the darkest corners of society in such a powerful and effective medium. I was beyond impressed by this record and thoroughly hope the band continues their creative endeavors in the near future.
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