NotRlyJamie is an alternative electropop one-person act from Atlanta. "Things Were Better Before" is their second official release, after the Dracula EP. It's a collection of 10 tracks full of genuine emotion, curious synths, and catchy tunes. The mood is playful, but serious. Stylistically, the sound is similar to Jamie's (not really) older stuff -- fresh electro beats, combined with relaxed RnB vocals -- but some songs now also feature guitars, which is a great addition.
Track highlights
- "Newt": a great starter. The chorus has no vocals, but it doesn't need any, because the focus rightly falls on the engaging beat and synths. Rich frequency modulation keeps things interesting throughout the song. The ending is a bit anti-climatic, though.
- "Electric Sheep": the two synth leads are sweet and have a charming innocent feel to them. They play off of each other, like having an engaging conversation. The lyrics seem personal. At first "Jamie" talks to a third person, but then turns it onto himself. So is this song about negative self-talk? The synth solo during the breakdown is simple, but very catchy, and I'm always fondly anticipating it. I'm also enjoying the rhythmic LFO on the the background synths, modulating both the volume envelope and the cutoff filter.
- "(Losing) My Grip": this track has a spooky feel, like the ghost stage in a videogame. The plucking synth kinda has that 16-bit Sega Genesis sound. There is properly no need for a hook in this track, as the instrumental parts depict passage of time. The lyrics tell a disturbing story about prescription drug abuse and existential dread.
- "Miserable": an excellent track, probably the best out of this collection. The warm and mellow lush chords create a very spacey atmosphere, without taking away from the energy of the cleverly designed beat on the 8th note triplets. The vocoder effect in the chorus establishes a very interesting blend of synths and voice. The lyrics are repetitive, but relatable -- we've all had a narcissistic friend who always complains but never listens. Another cool thing that caught my ear was the syncopation of the synth during the breakdown.
- "(Fade Away) ‘Nother Day": like in the previous number, the background keys are mellow and soothing. The beautiful melancholic chords, combined with the guitar riff, perfectly match the mournful lyrics about having regrets and trying to make things right. The hook brightens things up with the chopped vocals, and you could easily listen to this song in a good mood and happily sing along with the chorus. The track seems a bit underproduced, though. Would love to hear a more polished version.
- "Need You": no drums, no bass -- simply a string section and a voice -- but it's perfect as it is. An intimate, vulnerable confession, delivered in an eerie symphony. The chords remind me of Bjork's work, and I definitely crave more music that sounds like that. Too bad the track ends so abruptly.
Rating: 6.5/10 berries
"Jamie" describes this album as a "collection of forgotten things". For what they are (unfinished demos), I am glad that they were recollected, remastered, and released. There are some great gems in here that I will keep coming back to. But some of the tracks seem too raw and incomplete. I'm sure "things will be even better soon" as I'm actually looking forward to NotRlyJamie's future releases.
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