Independent indie pop NY based ‘JEAN’ has a knack for crafting addictive and intricate melodies that thread the line between the dreamy and ethereal to the spacious and hazy. On ‘Time Capsule’, his debut album, he’s realised his vision to draw out a collection of infectious tunes that range from a more direct rock anthem to catchy pop collaborations. The aptly titled record draws on JEAN’s experiences over years on end. Having been the product of over a decade worth of experiences and collaborations, Time Capsule is dedicated to the people who’ve had the strongest impact on JEAN his own life. More than anyone else, his late mother serves as a foundational piece of inspiration on this record with his own stage name even being derived from her middle name.
The album begins with two starkly atmospheric and hazy pieces of dream pop in Black Holes and Paradox. The former, more transient and ethereal, has Jean experiment and tinker with a soundscape that feels like you’re almost entirely floating in a mystical environment. But there’s also the more straightforward pop tunse like ‘Chasing A Ghost’. Of course, JEAN’s characteristic soft and subtle approach does remain a fairly dominant facet across the record. He’s never really straying too far away from the core principles that make his dream pop what it is.
Time Capsule is in and of itself a collection of memories and experiences, a scrapbook of memories that he continually uncovers track after track. The vocals, layered meticulously across the album, merge in perfect synthesis with the spacey synth work and the brooding electric riffs. It’s not abrasive, but it’s far from obviously exciting either. Loaded with catchy hooks and moody meandering lyricism, Time Capsule is full of flair, substance, and emotion from back to front.