Jura -Site

Danish pop music has been on the rise for a few years now. On Land, MØ, Aura and Medina have all released devilishly catchy songs that tries to say something more than generic pop music. A new name to add to that list is Jura. Her debut album ‘Formality Jerne-Site’ is totally captivating with its 80s sounding synths, basslines, and pastel drums. However, there are some trans character driven stories, some cautionary some not, that take the music in directions that her previous singles didn’t quite have the gusto to do.

‘Someone’s Lifework’ kicks things off intricate guitar work that brings to mind The Death Of Pop’s recent offerings. There are tinges of vaporwave, indie-pop, 80s film scores and avant-garde motifs throughout. Then Jura’s vocals kick in. Slightly falsetto in places, others Jura is just talk singing. The lyrics are as intricate as the music. Dense stories about identity, self-worth, love, loss, and redemption are being told with ease over pastel synths. It tells us everything we need to know about the album and what to expect. ‘Same Late Age (dIcK bIfFeReNcE)’ follows the same lyrical themes.The music is more stop-start than the opener but constantly flowing like a babbling brook. By ‘Ensemble Fever’ the album is in full swing. Here the music is slightly darker, more menacing, but not threatening. The synths are constantly moving in the background creating a disorienting atmosphere. You can’t really focus on one thing or another. Big bass stabs with wordy vocal delivery are reminiscent of Yello at their best.

‘Measure of its Own’ closes the album. As with the previous tracks it gracefully builds toward a peak soaring vocals and vaporwave basslines. That is until the final third. Here Jura unleashes a barrage of wonky basslines, broken beats, and lopsided guitars. Its remarkable and ends the album on a note of abrasive distraction. It’s a shame that these kinds of breakdowns didn’t happen more often as it really makes the smooth outro so much more powerful in its tranquillity. 

‘Formality Jerne-Site’ is a transfixing album. The melodies are luscious. The rhythms captivating and the vocals are in that sweet spot between being sung and spoken. So why aren’t I all over it? What am I missing that is preventing me from climbing up houses and bellowing Jura’s name from the rooftops? I’m not really sure. It’s all there, but after listening to it I’m not totally blown away. Maybe it’s because Jura seems to be borrowing heavily from avant-garde/alt-pop and fusing it with smooth retro sounds. This shouldn’t really stop me from rallying behind it, though.

I think part of my issue – if issue is even the right word – is that the songs don’t really go anywhere. From when they start you know exactly how they are going to pan out. They are sonically gorgeous but it’s all a bit samey. I’m not saying that Jura should have thrown a punk, or Euro Dance banger, in the middle, but it does all flow into one. Unless you have the music player open its hard to differentiate between the tracks. This all seems slightly unfair as ‘Formality Jerne-Site’ is a remarkable album that deserves all the praise it gets. It’s brave, confident and totally compelling, even if it doesn’t always land as well as you’d hope.

7/10

Words: Nick Roseblade

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