Photo Credit: www.carriganboynton.com
Finally, after 8 long years of releasing original music, pop singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger Jessica Woodlee has drooped her debut album, "JESS". Filled with a collection of a variety of new and previously released songs, "JESS" has 13 tracks that take you on a journey of being young, discovering who you are and experiencing whatever life throws at you.
TRACKLIST
T.O.M.L.
Suburbs
Dairy Aisle
Whiskey
Everything & Nothing
Pity Party
Has Been
Rainy Day (ft. Teesa)
Dude.
Skinny Dipping
Placebo
By Now
Breathe Again (Hope)
Jessica Woodlee is currently based in Boston, Massachusetts where she attends Berklee College of Music. She has loved music for her entire life, growing up listening to legends like Carole King and Eric Clapton. In 2017, she debuted as an artist with her EP, "Karma" which had more of that classic sound that she was inspired by within her childhood. From then on, she became more infatuated with the modern pop singer/songwriter scene, diving deeper into complex lyricism and electronic production, becoming a fan of artists like Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers and Maisie Peters but still keeping her classic blues and rock roots intertwined within her unique sound. Now with 8 years of experience, Jessica Woodlee has an impressive discography and over 800k streams on Spotify alone. She spends a lot of her time performing live and just opened for beloved Danish singer, Christopher, this past February at his sold out show at Brighton Music Hall. Previously, she was named one of Atwood Magazine's "50 artists to watch in 2023". Now here we are, with her debut album which showcases just how far she has come in her career thus far. Let's dive in.
T.O.M.L.
Opening up the album is the song "T.O.M.L.", a song fully produced by Berklee College of Music students and the ultimate pop/rock anthem that sums up what it feels like to be young and in your 20's in this day and age. "T.O.M.L." stands for "Time Of My Life", which Jessica expresses she is NOT having. Growing up we're told to enjoy our lives while we're young, because we won't get those years back. They're supposed to be the best years of our entire lives - but in our generation, it feels like the most stressful. We're broke, we're stressed, we're heartbroken, we're confused, we're full of anxiety and it's definitely not a good time. Instead of partying and living it up, we're worried whether or not we can find a job, get out of debt and have a house before we're forty. "T.O.M.L." is a relatable song for all the millennials and Gen Zer's out there who feel like they just can't catch a break. The punk rock influence on the style reminds me of Olivia Rodrigo and GAYLE, and it gives the perfect amount of angst and attitude to really amp up the pint up emotions that come with being young nowadays.
Suburbs
Growing up in a town where there's nothing to do leaves too much time for you to be alone with just yourself and your thoughts. It makes you feel kind of trapped, and curious about what else could be out there waiting for you. Sometimes you feel like you can't live up to your fullest potential, and that living in this smaller place is holding you back. Part of you wants to appreciate where you've come from, but when you're somebody with big dreams it's a lot harder to stay in one place. This sums up what "Suburbs" by Jessica Woodlee is about. This song sonically takes me back to Taylor Swifit's Fearless days. It sounds like early 2000's when pop was more folk and rock influenced with more emphasis on acoustic guitar but with just a little bit of funky synth mixed in there. Jess expresses that this song was also inspired by the likes of Maggie Rogers and Maude Latour but with Lizzy McAlpine lyrics.
Dairy Aisle
Next, we have "Dairy Aisle" which is a bittersweet, RnB influenced bedroom-pop song about "the one that got away". In this song, Jessica explores the idea of what would happen if she ran into someone she used to have a romantic fling with, but it didn't work out. At this point it's been two years since she's seen them, but she's finding herself thinking about them. In this case, she's wondering all the "what ifs"; like what if it actually worked out, what if she was able to actually see them again, what if she just happened to run into them in the dairy aisle at the grocery store? This song was written while Jessica was experimenting with sensory descriptions, and so it has a lot of imagery. You're able to place yourself in Jessica's shoes and imagine exactly where she is and what she is going through. It's a really cool song to experience.
Whiskey
Falling for someone who you know doesn't love you the same is probably one of the most painful things to deal with; especially when they're somebody you have to see often. "Whiskey" is about crushing on a friend, but you can't bring yourself to tell them because you know they don't like you back. So you think about drinking, not only to cope with the messy feelings but also to use the alcohol as an excuse in case you slip up and confess your love. "Whiskey" is more of an experimental, alternative pop song that focuses heavy on synths and production. The soundscape is meant to match the chaotic emotion that Jess is singing about. "Whiskey" is such a relatable, well written song and the lyrics read off the tongue like poetry. Cheers to all the people out there who have suffered from unrequited love.
Everything & Nothing
Moving on to track 5, we have "Everything & Nothing", a strong and vulnerable song about society's impossible standards. Completely self-written by Jessica and the only explicit song on this album, "Everything & Nothing" sums up the old saying "damned if you do, damned if you don't". This song has a bit of a country / western blues tone with emphasis on acoustic guitar and heavy drums. It builds into a flourishing soundscape that protests the challenges we face everyday as people just trying to make it by. We can't do too much because then we're a show off, but we can't do too little because then we're lazy. Jessica sings, "just be everything and nothing", because that's just how silly it sounds when others try to have a say in what we do in our lives. It's literally impossible.
Pity Party
"Pity Party" is a raw, gentle piano ballad that really hits in the feels if you've ever been in a relationship like the one Jessica sings about here. "Pity Party" is about being with someone who is only with you because they feel bad for you; but they also like knowing that you rely on them, and so they inflict hurt on you on purpose because they feel like they can get away with it. This song has one of the best written choruses I've heard so far this year; "Well I'd rather be alone with myself, than feel alone with all of you / And I'd rather learn to love myself, than convince myself that you do / There ain't room in this pity party for two". The heart-wrenching lyrics mixed with the minimal production and soaring background harmonies make this a break-up song for the books.
Has Been
"Has Been" is another vulnerable self-written song by Jessica that touches on the topic of not making it as far in life as she's wanted to at this point in her career. She asks the question, "can someone be born a has been?" as if her time to shine has passed before she even got to chance to make it. This is a situation that many of us can relate to. We feel stuck in one place while we watch others move on in their lives; it stings a little bit to watch others success while we're still doing the same old same old - even though we have all these people around telling us how smart and talented we are and that we should've made our dreams come true by now. It's a confusing, disappointing struggle to go through, especially in Jessica's case with something as tough as the music industry. "Has Been" is a sparkling, radio-pop track with a catchy melody that will surely have you relating to the lyrics.
Rainy Day (ft. Teesa)
"Rainy Day" is a stunning, cenematic track that features a fellow Berklee student and friend of Jessica's, Teesa D'Agostino, whom is a pianist and film composer who plays live piano on this song! Aside from the absolute tear-jerkingly beautiful piano, "Rainy Day" features loud crashing drums that make you feel like you're sitting in front an orchestra experiencing a live romantic drama musical. Considering how the lyrics of "Rainy Day" also feel like they belong in a prestigious poem and it's paired with this type of soundscape, it definitely feels like it belongs in a movie. The song reminiscences on the good moments of a relationship that didn't work out, and in the end Jess sings about how since they're gone she guesses she will just save all her love for a rainy day. This song feels like running through New York City on a rainy day and just losing your mind over the one that got away.
Dude.
Next we have "Dude." which was originally released in February as an Anti-Valentines Day song and is described by Jessica as an "anti-love banger". "Dude." is about something many people have unfortunately fell victim to - being friendzone. Catching feelings for a friend who only wants to be friends is actual torture. In this song, Jessica sings, "I think I'm calling you the one, but you're calling me dude". Although this is a crappy situation to be in, the track takes a lighthearted, comedic and witty approach. So if you've ever been in this situation, this song can help you jam out and have some fun with it, even it it still hurts.
Skinny Dipping
"Skinny Dipping" is about saying goodbye to Summer; in particular, that very last Summer that you have with your childhood friends before you have to grow up and everything in life changes. It's a nostalgic pop/rock banger with some punk influence that sounds straight out of the early 2000's; it sounds like it belongs in a teenage rom-com movie about what happens over Summer break, and this is what plays in the end credits. Literally everything about this song is perfection and everything blends together super well - if there's a song that's going to get stuck in your head, I put my bets on this one. I can hear a lot of the Maisie Peters influence in this particular song; it's specifically reminiscent of her signature vocal production and her song "Cate's Brother".
Placebo
"Placebo" is a dark, bluesy track with a sensual and soulful groove that has heavy emphasis on a classic electric guitar and blues notes. The song is about having that realization that a romantic relationship can't solve your problems - only you can. Yes, they may be able to mask the pain for a while or be a good distraction, but they can't really fix those deep internal issues that you hold on to deep inside. Those are the kind of issues that only you can change for yourself and nobody else. In this scenerio, Jessica is calling this person she's been using to soften the blow of her personal problems a "placebo", aka, a fake treatment for something that is meant to trick you into thinking it'll help you. Jessica explains that this relationship was fun while it lasted, but she has to figure herself out on her own.
By Now
Written back in 2021 on Jessica's 18th birthday, "By Now" is a really personal song about becoming an adult and not being ready to grow up. A lot of us have felt this same way when we turned 18; like, "how in the world am I supposed to be an adult when I don't feel like one?". At that point in our lives, most of us still don't even know what we want to do yet. Some of us haven't even graduated high school on our 18th birthdays - but just like that, all of sudden within one day we go from being a kid, to being an adult. In "By Now", Jessica sings of that guilt we all have felt when you have no idea who you are or what you want to be when you turn 18, but the whole world makes you feel like you're supposed to already have it all figured out. Out of all the songs on this album, in my personal opinion, this one is one of the most vocally emotional as Jessica just lets her heart out on her sleeve. The layers of acoustic guitar and the heavenly harmonies in the background add even more depth to an already vulnerable and heart-wrenching song.
Breathe Again (Hope)
Closing out the album at track number 13, we have "Breath Again (Hope)". Let me start by saying, this is such a perfect song to end an album on, especially with all the themes of uncertainty and heartbreak, it's nice to end on a positive high note. Life would be nothing without hope, and this is very optimistic song that lifts people up and gives them that little spark of faith that they need to keep on going. "Breathe Again (Hope)" has a hook that is meant to be an ear-worm, so that it gets stuck in your head and it makes you want to sing along every time you hear it. I bet it's an amazing song to experience live and to sing with others. When I listened to this song for the first time and I got to the bridge, I think my heart actually stopped because of how insanely good it was. I said out loud alone in my living room "SING, GIRL!!". Hearing Jessica let it all go and sing these heartfelt lyrics like her life depended on it actually brought tears to my eyes. This is a song the world needed. Thank you so much, Jessica.
Jessica Woodlee is a force to be reckoned with, and I really hope she knows that. After 8 long years of releasing music, she compiled 13 tracks into what would become her debut album, "JESS" and I don't think she could've done it any better. Jessica has a way with her words and she draws you in with her genuine demeanor. Her lyrics are poetic, intelligent and well written, but yet they're so easy to understand and still remain relatable which it is very hard to do both. She is an artist for the people, and this album is for all the coming-of-agers. I know that Jessica will continue to grow and evolve, not only as an artist but as a human being and it's so great that we are able to grow with her. She may have a lot of experience, but this is still only the beginning for Jessica and I can't wait to see what comes next. Make sure to follow Jessica Woodlee below to keep up on her journey, and to see if she's playing any shows near you!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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