June Jones - Meryl
Australia’s alternative synth-pop artist June Jones recently released a new single, called “Meryl.” The song follows on the heels of Jones’ previous single, “Here, Something.”
June Jones
As far as I can tell, both songs are from her forthcoming debut album, entitled Diana, slated to drop sometime this year. When asked about the album, Jones told Laundry Echo, “Diana is a collection of 10 songs about relationships of all kinds, as well as mental health and illness. Stylistically, it's quite different to anything I've done before. There is no 6 string guitar on the album, and aside from vocals it's mostly bass, synth, piano, strings, and drum machines. This album is the longest I've ever worked on a single thing in my entire life, and I owe my eternal gratitude to my friend and producer, Geoffrey O'Connor, who has been incredibly patient, open-minded, and helpful with me along the way. I’m really proud of it and I can’t wait to share it with whoever wants to listen.”
Prior to going solo, Jones fronted her band Two Steps on the Water, Melbourne’s emo punk band, formed in 2014.
Stripped down to the barest of harmonic essentials, “Meryl” is sublimely exquisite, as the delicious voice of June Jones provides irresistible allure.
“Meryl” opens on a measured beat topped by breathy sighs and an almost dirge-like organ. There’s a drifting lingering intimacy to the flow of the music, gentle and oh, so evocative, full of singularly impressive surface colors. When the cavernous bass line enters, the harmonics assume a dark throbbing impetus, infusing the tune with cap-a-pie haunting aromas approaching the brink of nostalgic melancholy.
Jones’ voice, full of tiny hooks of a deepening ennui, is sui generis, as if her insides are in the grip of full winter, cool, dreamy, and rich, suffused with the energy and delicious hues of a slo-mo atomic hurricane.
“I take a long hard drag of my cigarette / I stand too close to the microwave oven / There are some feelings in this organ / That I am not equipped to govern / We go up until we reach the stratosphere / We dive down into the Mariana Trench / But instead of putting me in the game / You wanna hang me out to dry on the bench / I'm thinking to retire / I'm thinking to retire.”
Stripped down to the barest of harmonic essentials, “Meryl” is sublimely exquisite, as the delicious voice of June Jones provides irresistible allure.
