Aperture

Hannah Jadagu began writing, performing, and uploading songs as a high school student in Mesquite, Texas, then released her iPhone-recorded debut EP on Sub Pop shortly after she graduated. Taking influence from bedroom pop artists like Clairo and Beabadoobee but also recalling the dreamy, jangly side of 90s alternative, she demonstrated her knack for writing introspective, sweetly catchy songs that address pressing issues and frustrations without getting too aggressive or angsty. Written during her first two years attending college in New York, Jadagu recorded her debut album with co-producer and multi-instrumentalist Max Robert Baby at his studio outside of Paris. Aperture, Jadagus first professional studio recording, feels far more fleshed out than her previous tracks, mixing analog synths and acoustic instruments with distorted guitars and digital programming, adding more weight to her atmospheric sound. Brief opener "Explanation," one of a few songs to question Jadagus Christian hometown upbringing, patiently unfolds, ending with a flash of swirling, submerged breakbeats. First single "Say It Now" expresses tension and anxiety with the aid of an acidic synth line during the songs breezy chorus. "What You Did," sonically and emotionally one of Jadagus heaviest songs to date, is filled with fuzzed-out guitars and brash, scolding lyrics. "Six Months" is a more playful stroll with a touch of Auto-Tune and viola, and "Admit It," the albums only song not originally written on guitar, is an aching downtempo pop ballad. The slow, swaying "Shut Down" addresses mounting pressures leading up to exhaustion, with a chorus ("But Im not feeling myself") thats refreshing to vent along with. She multi-tracks her voice for dynamic emphasis during the sparse beginning of "Warning Sign" ("When its oh so loud! Could you quiet down?"), which eventually gains choppy drum programming and trippy effects. The albums drifting, daydream-like closer, "Your Thoughts Are Ur Biggest Obstacle," is about forcing oneself to socialize in an attempt to stave off perpetual self-doubt for a while. Jadagus songs are memorable, creative, and highly relatable, and Aperture is an impressive first album. ~ Paul Simpson