An eclectic array of rock, pop, and folk shines throughout Departures From The States Of Mind, the debut album from Little Juke. The Birmingham, England-based band first caught our ears with album track “When The Sea Came To Tea” last year, showcasing both heartfelt folk and brass-forward vibrancy. Departures From The States Of Mind continues the immersive songwriting on display there, capturing what the band refers to as “the highs and lows of everyday life and they hope people can make a connection to it and take something from it.”
The album quickly showcases its knack for strong songwriting and evolving structural immersion. The opening “Down The Rabbit Hole” lyrically conveys a sense of slow descension into the unknown, propelled by haunting piano and steady rhythmic ruminations alongside the solemn vocal lead. The “free-falling,” backing resonance adds to the building textural beauty, culminating in soaring vocals and trip-hop rhythmic sensations that captivate alongside heartfelt strings; shades of Radiohead and The Notwist are enjoyably apparent in this memorable production.
Departures From The States Of Mind continues to compel across a variety of realms thereafter, from the gripping rocker “Time On My Mind” to the lush acoustic-laden “Strange Fruit.” The former struts a contagious momentum, traversing seamlessly from debonair spoken-word verses into a bursting, anthemic central hook. Meanwhile, “Death Of The Handshake” dazzles with its brass-touched punchiness and soulful rock production; it’s a thorough display of the act’s dynamic prowess. Departures From The States Of Mind is a fully memorable debut from Little Juke.
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“Time on My Mind” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
