Review Summary: Jules is a fantastic opening debut album by Julien Chang. The storytelling and influx of emotions per track is inspired and this album sounds like something a more tenured band would put out versus debuting work. Deep Green, Of The Past, and Butterflies f
Oh Jules, what did you do???
I love this album and I’m genuinely surprised it has not been reviewed or made waves on Sputnik Music.
This album opens with the moody and chill inducing track Deep Green. A cool solo explodes before Julien sings about HER and makes listeners curious about what sorts of unkindnesses he was subjected to.
It turns a little brighter with one last solo before segueing into the next track.
Of The Past is futuristic, jazzy, upbeat, and mania compared to the opening track. I was blessed to hear this song on the full PA speakers at a concert in Vegas interstitially between sets. It sounded great and really made me want to hear this song live someday. It has a nice vintage filter, uptempo sound and really captivated me enough to search for the rest of this album. The piano solo is chef’s kiss. This song reminds me of your homey happily about to recount their latest romantic trauma, as if you finally caught them in a right mood to talk about it at the party. Great track!
Two Voices comes next, a kinda interlude-y track. It’s a little more lyrical and like waking up on a Sunday morning alone and unrequited but the possibilities are endless since you’re so empty. I enjoy this song poetically. Also it has a jammy and slow outro I could give sway to. Great track!
Next up is Moving Parts. Its sound reminds me of Two Voices, but picked up and jamming out from the initial slowness. The music kind of reminds me of a dance grove Tame Impala would put out but more guitars and a more instrumental layered musicianship in it in my humble opinion. No shade on Tame but I just really like the bright guitar melodies in this song versus the electronic stuff popularized by Tame Impala.
Candy Cane Rainbow, despite its name is a slow folk-sy short song. I enjoy it but also a little interlude feeling to me especially since it is barely like 2 minutes long.
Woof woof cuz Dogologue is next and picks up the tempo. It’s a cute little accepting jingle. Some jazzy sax as Julien accepts the future is not what he anticipated.
Memory Loss is a cute metropolitan feeling instrumental wise with some background singing and vocalizations. I really enjoy the jumpy synth but I’m not always an instrumental person necessarily. It’s good but maybe gets a skip from me sometimes.
Somerville is next. Another short guitar-y kinda blues-y song. I enjoy this song too but definitely kinda interlude feeling especially cuz it leads into my absolute banger and favorite song on this album.
BUTTERFLIES FROM MONACO!!!! I love this song so much. Dreamy guitars and happy chords disguise a momentary bliss at the end of this album, “I don’t want to know that everything, everything is in vain, all the paiiiiiin” before the song picks up and we get a pumping solo. The entire song and album culminates here. Julien Chang is kinda like realizing that the bliss of experiencing love and staying ignorant to the bitter ending of this star crossed romance was aite. We all know she is indeed leaving before she goes, but it’s nice hearing the hopeful christmas-sy solo jingle delusions for a little before coming back to Earth.
A Day or Two wraps this album up. Julien can move on from her, although maybe she still haunts him but at least he’s open to rebound now. Acoustic guitars and no drums as you hear his hands glide up and down the frets for this ending and calming tune…
Love this album work and I am always a simp for entire album piece written about romantic tribulation. I had this album downloaded and listened to it in Japan. It equipped me with chic vibes and I felt like a baddd indie gal with this in my travel soundtrack. I hope more comes from Julien Chang to put him on indie radars and for him to really breakthrough!!
