Review #21 : Jackie June (Wildflower)

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Review #21

Artist: Jackie June
Album: Wildflower

    Jackie June is probably one of the most promising pop artists to come out of 2019 so far. I’d like to start out by saying it’s been quite awhile since I have heard five consecutive tracks off a pop album or EP that each have maintained lyrical and musical substance. This release brings me back to the days when Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavigne, and Sara Bareilles first came out, and that’s a very good thing.
SPOILER ALERT!

So, I will happily be going over a few tracks off Wildflower, but if you are interested in reading about what I thought of “Chasing Nightmares”, definitely scroll down our review feed to find the posting for that
single’s release!
SPOILER ALERT!
    Anyway! As I stated above June’s debut breaks the mold for today’s typical pop music, well at least when referring to the brand of music that is heard on the radio lately. That said, Jackie’s first track, “Find A Way” is honestly the closest to contradicting my previous thought. While a strong track, this song plays out and feels much like a pop country song, that found its way (get it?) into a dream-pop setting. A warm love story guides the instruments through and feels very much like the perfect track to a mushy summer Netflix movie. Nothing wrong with that at all though, because Jackie’s songs impressively enough, in my opinion, carry a cinematic tonality
very well.
    “Reckless” is where I start to notice mementos appearing from the pop classics of my past. Immediately, when this song begins I get a nice healthy dollop of Sixpence None the Richer style vocals accompanied by Vanessa Carlton inspired piano parts. On top of that, this song has already broken over a thousand plays on Spotify!
Off to a good start, Jackie!

Skipping “Chasing Nightmares” as I mentioned earlier, “All the Colors” and the title track, “Wildflower” close out the EP strong. These two songs are arguably her strongest to this point. Jackie’s vocals and emotion on “All the Colors” shine through and make this sad ballad emit powerful vibes of pain and hope. After that, we go into “Wildflower” which is definitely JJ’s Avril Lavigne inspired pop rock anthem, and whether it was intended or not, I hear Green Day’s “Whatshername” in there too. Then again, I’ll find punk similarities in a tin can if you ask me to.
Oh well!

Ultimately, what I like about this EP is that no song has the same beat or the same vocal pattern. I’ll say it again, substance, substance, substance. Maybe I just don’t enjoy modern pop music much (I don’t.), but I do hope Jackie June leads the charge in bringing us back to hearing pop songs that we won’t forget about after a week. You also need to check out her performance live, she delivers live vocals that match the EP and has great musicians backing her up!

Ryan Hanratty
Frosted Green Productions



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