JJ Chamberlain – Thoughts (self-published)

JJ Chamberlain – Thoughts (self-published)

26 August 2024

If the previous single “Eyeballs” showed that JJ Chamberlain had a talent for weaving jangly indie music that touched on both the energetic dynamics of rock and the infectious bop of pop, and new song “Thoughts” proves that was no accident – ​​not at all.

Sonically, the new album picks up where Eyeballs left off, taking its signature sound to new places as well. While the previous album rode a hazy, cosmic wave, similar to that which bands like House of Love to underground success, “Thoughts” has a more robust but no less artful feel. The guitar lines are perhaps thicker, the beat meatier and the sounds are more fused into less driving, condensed structures, but still spacious enough to let the light in, allowing for a perfect separation of sound, which in turn lets everything breathe and do its job effectively.

And if the guitar work seems more robust, closer inspection reveals that this is because he has applied layer upon layer of gossamer tones and delicate textures to create these seemingly weightier sounds, like a strong rope woven from many melodious silk threads. Safety through mass, beauty through design!

But “Thoughts” is not only sonically clever, it's also lyrically astute. The thoughts in question relate to those darker and more dangerous feelings and emotions that pop up unbidden in all of our minds from time to time. Or, as the author himself describes it, this is “a mental health anthem masquerading as a pop song.”

And in this more enlightened, but also increasingly turbulent age, the timing could not be better.

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