Face the Wall

Ever since debuting with 2019s Classical Notions of Happiness, indie singer/songwriter Jordana Nye (aka Jordana) has garnered buzz for her cozy, yet still danceable "bedroom pop" sound. However, calling the angelically warm anthems that make up her third album, 2022s Face the Wall, "bedroom pop" seems to undervalue the effortless craft, wit, and charm she brings to the album. Produced by Cameron Hale (Khalid, Claud) and mixed by Miro Mackie (Wallows, St. Vincent), Face the Wall is a more robust production than Jordanas previous album, 2020s Something to Say to You, with a sound that feels more purposefully zeroed in on a professional pop sheen. Thats a good thing, and cuts like "Pressure Point," "Go Slow," and "I Mean That" are shimmering guitar-based songs peppered with discreet electronic-flourishes that still evince the 90s artists that Jordana clearly has deep affection for. In fact, much of Face the Wall brings to mind the kind of ebullient, instant-classic indie pop that filtered through college rock stations in the 1990s. Think something along the lines of Juliana Hatfield improbably crossed with Liz Phair and Enya and youll get a sense of the giddy, buoyant vibe she captures here. Particularly infectious is "Catch My Drift," a lyrically wry and hooky power pop-influenced anthem. Backed by a wiry guitar arpeggio, Jordana sings "Am I option two?/Do you think its chill for you to pick and choose?/Couldve been kinda nice/But you dont have the time." The song finds Jordana deftly moving between coy flirtatiousness and raw heartbreak, a combination she returns to throughout much of Face the Wall and which she makes sound like empowered, sugar-driven joy. ~ Matt Collar