Jean Dawson — CHAOS NOW* — Album Review
Alternative | Rock
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Given that I am on a bit of a streak this month so far when it comes to album reviews, I wanted to keep the momentum going by doing one more this week. And while I was going to initially give that honour to Easy Life with their brand new album, I eventually ended up discovering this album instead.
It was, of course, on the ever-reliable new releases page on Album of the Year where I found CHAOS NOW*, the third studio album from alternative artist Jean Dawson. And admittedly, the first reason as to why I was interested in this project was indeed the album cover.
But as I began to skim over the album to get a glimpse of the sound it would offer, I realised that it was a very unique sort; one that felt undeniably anthemic, and also all of the flavours of that well-known angsty goodness. That being said, I knew that this project should not be one to pass up on.
With all of the above considered, it should come as no surprise that I hadn’t known of Jean Dawson prior to the release of CHAOS NOW*. This would be a completely new musical experience for myself, and that is something that I felt I have been lacking a little as of late.
Given that this is obviously a project that serves as my introduction to Jean Dawson, along with an album that I just suddenly decided I wanted to review, I was certainly going into this not truly knowing what to expect.
What I began to notice more and more with each subsequent listen, however, is that many of the tracks on CHAOS NOW* are the types of tracks that really grew on me as a listener; they were tunes that I noticed were easier to memorise melodically than the tracks found on most other albums. This, of course, is a very good sign of a great album.
There’s a really nice sound to be found on this album, that mixes elements of both rawness and ambience. In other words, more manual instrumentation; namely from Jean Dawson’s guitar work are marvellously blended in with a kind of hip-hop production, resulting in something that does feel quite unique to Jean Dawson themself, and also reflects the artist’s taste for versatility as well (which is always something I can get behind).
On top of that, the musical icing on top of this compositional sweetness would have to be how anthemic the whole album sounds. Indeed, this would be the kind of album that I would absolutely love to hear at a festival, with all of the anthemic bangers on CHAOS NOW* soaring through the open air. And even though that experience hasn’t yet existed for me physically, it’s not difficult to imagine that kid of setting while listening to this album.
According to Spotify, Jean Dawson describes their music as “The life and times of a boy exploring identity, intimacy, and escapism”. These were all elements that I was able to notice with CHAOS NOW* from a narrative perspective, perhaps with themes of self-destruction thrown into the mix as well.
With all of that said, it should come as no surprise that I love this album, and feel that it served incredibly well as my introduction to Jea Dawson. I would certainly label this artist as one to watch out for to those who, like myself, were once (or perhaps may unfortunately still be) unaware of this incredibly talented singer and musician.
Favourite Tracks: GLORY* | POSITIVE ONE NEGATIVE ONE* | 0-HEROES* | SICK OF IT*
P+
