Jess Chalker - 'Cynical' and 'Stupid Trick'
Following in the footsteps of her focus single, ‘Stupid Trick’, Jess Chalker shares ‘Cynical’, the final teaser taken from her anticipated debut album, Hemispheres, due for release 5 November
Over the last couple of years, Jess Chalker has been making a solo name for herself by creating irresistibly moody 80s-inspired earworms. Co-written and produced by Dan Long (Local Natives, ‘Cynical’ is the third single taken from Jess’s upcoming debut album. The track opens by pairing Jess’s brooding yet airy vocal with shimmering lofi electronics. Sparse piano lines add tension to the piece, soon interjected by sensual guitar riffs and tense lofi beats providing the track with a playful elasticity.
Dark and nervy, the song’s spunky melodies support the tension in the lyrical theme as Jess confesses, ‘ when I’m feeling kinda cynical, no-one else can hurt me like you do, you turn me on then you turn me off’, but no-one else can haunt me like you do’. But despite the drama in the bones of the track, there’s a lovely danceability here that feels cathartic and freeing, the vocal melody remains floaty and light - a lovely slice of accessible alt pop.
’Cynical’ follows Jess’s upbeat, quirky and feel-good focus single, ‘Stupid Trick’ which features twirly, energetic melodies, capturing the lightheaded and ‘intense feelings you had as a teenager before learning what love really means.’
Jess Chalker’s debut solo full length album Hemispheres is due for release Friday November 5 via her own imprint 528 Records. You can pre-order the album via Bandcamp, here.
Words of Karla Harris