Description
On her first proper album as Jay Som, Melina Duterte, 22, solidifies her rep as a self-made force of sonic splendor and emotional might. If last years aptly named Turn Into compilation showcased a fuzz-loving artist in fluxchronicling her mission to master bedroom recordingthen the rising Oakland stars latest, Everybody Works, is the LP equivalent of mission accomplished. Duterte is as DIY as everwriting, recording, playing, and producing every sound beyond a few backing vocalsbut she takes us places we never could have imagined, wedding lo-fi rock to hi-fi home orchestration, and weaving evocative autobiographical poetry into energetic punk, electrified folk, and dreamy alt-funk. Everybody Works was made in three furious, caffeinated weeks. She came home from the road, moved into a new apartment, set up her bedroom studio and dove in. Duterte even ditched most of her demos, writing half the LP on the spot and making lushly composed pieces like Lipstick Stains all the more impressive. While the guitar-grinding Jay Som we first fell in love with still reigns on shoegazey shredders like 1 Billion Dogs and in the melodic distortions of Take It, we also get the sublimely spacious synth-pop beauty of Remain, and the luxe, proggy funk of One More Time, Please.
Every track on Everybody Works comes out feeling completely free of anyone elses fingerprints. DIY 4*
With Everybody Works, Jay Som has arrived. London In Stereo
Anyone who likes both sides of the 4AD labels classic sound the dreamy music of Cocteau Twins and the noisy alt-rock of Pixies- will find that this album scratches both itches. Sunday Times Culture
Theres buzz around Jay Som at the moment and rightfully so. The I
Emotionally rich and quietly political, voices like Jay Soms are the ones we need. Crack Magazine
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