Artist: Jessica's Brother
Title: Caroline
Format: Digital single
Cat#: Fika088SG2
Release date: 24th September 2021
Bandcamp | Spotify
‘Caroline’ is the second track from the new album from London three-piece Jessica’s Brother, comprising songwriter Tom Charleston, The Wave Pictures’ Jonny Helm on drums and Charlie Higgs on bass.
Caroline is about that feeling of falling behind. Whether it’s a friend, partner, enemy(!) - we often fall into the trap of finding ourselves reacting despondently instead of feeling inspired
Stitching together a variety of influences, from crunching indie-rock, to gothic country and contemplative psych folk, Jessica’s Brother create the sound of a band coming together and getting caught up in the rush of starting afresh.
The disintegration of a long-term relationship, coinciding with a global fracturing, provided a catalyst for ‘Just Rain’. The songs explore a relentless collision of melancholy and resilience alongside themes of comedy, agency, and hope.
Jessica’s Brother formed in October 2016. Jonny and Charlie worked together in a framing business and had often talked about collaborating in a band together. Fate intervened when Jonny’s girlfriend Jessica introduced him to her brother Tom, and they found a songwriter in waiting. Their debut, eponymous, album released in 2018 was warmly received.
‘Just Rain’ was produced and engineered by Shuta Shinoda (Hot Chip, Ghost Poet, Anna Meredith) at Hackney Road Studios during the summer of 2020. The album features Dan Mayfield’s elegant touch on violin (he has performed with artists from Daniel Johnston to Allo Darlin’), and new female voices from Polimana (a jazz vocalist from the SoCal suburbia) and Shantha Roberts (whose voice has graced Glasgow’s reggae sound system Argonaut Sounds).
The eponymous Jessica Jane Charleston, a painter and printmaker, provides the meteorological juxtaposition to the album in the visuals, the warmth of a giant sun looming over the contorted figure, rising up to fight another day. Tom was drawn to the hotter colours this time round as opposed to the moodier blue palette of the debut. The colours and figures convey a sense of revival after a period of hibernation. It fits well alongside the band’s hiatus throughout the pandemic and their much awaited return.
With an at times folkloric narrative, ‘Just Rain’ is both poetic and playful retaining throughout a thread of darkness.
The record takes a step forward in terms of production while maintaining the band’s rough around the edges charm. It is an intimate affair punctuated with louder and more unwieldy moments. A true story revolving around a relationship and a world falling apart.
“The crashing guitars sound absolutely huge, like this stormy wave of distortion (and occasional soloing) bashing us over the head. That said, the trio, pull back in all the right spots, letting you take a breath before smashing you right in the face. And more fun, you can enjoy the noise, but it operates entirely separately from the generous pop moments that course throughout the tune…be that the backing bops or the core vocals from Tom” Austin Town Hall
“This feels like a step forward for Jessica’s Brother, a band moving on without losing the initial glint in the eye that made them such an exciting prospect in the first place.” For The Rabbits