1. Dionne by The Japanese House, Justin Vernon
I'm a bit late to the hype with this one, but for indie folk/pop obsessives Dionne was probably a staple of the end-of-summer releases last month. Any collab between Justin Vernon and Amber Bain --- both better known as Bon Iver and The Japanese House, respectively --- was bound to be good, both modern songwriting gurus known for their intricate production.
I’m not usually fan of Vernon’s autotune-washed vocals but they work well against Bain’s dreamy pop voice (which overrides his for most of the song anyway). In true Bon Iver style, the lyrics are a bit all over the place but with the occasional hard-hitting line that keeps you coming back. (In Dionne, a favourite example comes early on from Bain – “And I know it’s not very sexy when somebody loves you this much and knows you this well”...)
The first few times I listened to Dionne I thought it was a sweet love song. It wasn’t until recently that I’ve started to hear it with a sadder tone – as a song not about requited love, but about one person unable to fall out of love with another. Bain hits this home when she sings in the second verse: “I’ve been thinkin’ about my storyline / and how your past becomes your present if it’s always on your mind.”
My one qualm with Dionne was initially its repetition, but I can now appreciate how it perfectly reflects the feeling of the same memories playing in your head on a loop.
2. Sweeter by Leon Bridges, Terrace Martin
Another moving new collab comes from Leon Bridges and Terrace Martin, who's said about their song Sweeter: “This is meditation music; it is not music for the ears but rather music for the heart.”
Amidst worldwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality, Sweeter is the artists' shared meditation on grief. It’s a solemn reflection on the experience of Black people who continue to live through cyclical violence and oppression at the hands of the state: “Hoping for a life more sweeter / Instead I’m just a story repeating / Why do I fear with skin dark as night? / Can’t feel peace with those judging eyes,” Bridges sings over the beat.
With the release, both artists spoke about how profoundly personal and important the track is. Describing his own experience of racism, Bridges wrote: “I have been numb for too long, calloused when it came to the issues of police brutality. The death of George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was the first time I wept for a man I never met. I am George Floyd, my brothers are George Floyd, and my sisters are George Floyd. I cannot and will not be silent any longer.”
The song’s video is filmed in Fort Worth, where Bridges grew up, and features his own family and community members. He describes it as “a celebration of our Blackness":
3. CRY by Julia Jacklin
This past week also saw Julia Jacklin return to the music scene with a pair of stunning new singles: to Perth, before the border closes and CRY – her first releases since Crushing came out last year.
These songs march to a slightly different beat than her two studio albums, which were both defined by rich undertones of growth and heartbreak. Instead she now gives us a snapshot of her life in lockdown.
Both songs are very, very good but I’m especially partial to CRY – a melancholic tune about feeling trapped in your surroundings and trying to find a private moment to go be depressed in peace. As always, Jacklin has such a talent for capturing an emotion with complete sincerity while still blanketing it in humour (“Hiding my depression from my housemates / I don't know them well enough yet to cry in the kitchen” --- what an opening line).
It’s unclear whether this release hints at more to come, but for now I’m just grateful to have the comfort of a familiar voice.
4. Passive Aggressive by Charlotte Cardin
Charlotte Cardin's first full-length album is due any day now and its first release, Passive Aggressive, sounds like it could be a line out of Main Girl (her breakthrough 2017 single which I wrote about here).
Passive Aggressive emanates exact the same energy of independence and self-love. Cardin never fails to sing about her experiences with trivial men with a contagious confidence, empowering her millions of female listeners to reclaim their sense of freedom and self.
“[Passive Aggressive] is a song about the relief, celebration, and liberation you feel once you get rid of a toxic relationship,” the singer has described. “It’s about a very passive aggressive ex and just those toxic vibes. It’s being happy to be on your own and embrace your inner strength.”
It feels like an uplifting hug hearing her sing with a bounce in verse two – “I love myself too much to waste good years on bad love.”
And if you're not one for lyrics, the song's also just danceable as hell.
Listen on Spotify to all 'Songs of the Week' here.
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