MP3: jj – Beautiful Life
Swedish duo jj are back at it, crafting luxurious electro-pop driven by gentle acoustics, wavy synth pads, and tinny Afro-pop percussion. “Beautiful Life” is their first release in almost two years. It’s on a new single release, jj n° 4, slated for a May 8th release on Secretly Canadian and Sincerely Yours. “Beautiful Life” and b-side “Burn” are included, and by all indications it’s a return to the form of jj n° 2, rather than the relatively disappointing jj n° 3.
Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander highlight their strengths on “Beautiful Life”, which extends from a trickling acoustic ballad into a beautiful swell of high-pitched backing vocals. A hypnotic percussion-woodwind relationship ensues during the second half, reminiscent of how both intimate and explosive jj n° 2 felt. It’s a solid all-around effort that’s easy to space out to. Hopefully this is indication of more new material. A mere single won’t suffice.
