A collaborative EP by Jay Som (aka Melina Duterte) and fellow lo-fi-styled singer/songwriter Justus Proffit, Nothing's Changed will be an introduction for some to the latter, arriving as it does via Jay Som's label, Polyvinyl, following two cassette-label EPs from Proffit. The two met when Proffit reached out after hearing that Duterte had moved to his base of Los Angeles. It's easy to understand how recording one song "for fun" turned into five upon hearing how well Jay Som's melancholy, textured pop pairs with Proffit's ...
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A collaborative EP by Jay Som (aka Melina Duterte) and fellow lo-fi-styled singer/songwriter Justus Proffit, Nothing's Changed will be an introduction for some to the latter, arriving as it does via Jay Som's label, Polyvinyl, following two cassette-label EPs from Proffit. The two met when Proffit reached out after hearing that Duterte had moved to his base of Los Angeles. It's easy to understand how recording one song "for fun" turned into five upon hearing how well Jay Som's melancholy, textured pop pairs with Proffit's thoughtful, Elliott Smith-like melodic and conversational vocal tendencies. Both sing and play guitar on the set; Proffit also wrote the lyrics and added drums, while Duterte recorded and mixed the EP and played keyboards and bass. They evidently play to strengths, offering up alternatively jangly and atmospheric tunes under partly cloudy skies. With Proffit singing lead, the catchy, sauntering opener, "Nothing's Changed," features Jay Som on agile harmonies. At just over two minutes in length, it leaves a lasting impression, following the closing lyrics "Cut the silence with a knife/Let it echo all your life and now it's gone/You have aged and nothing's changed" with a memorable muted-trumpet solo. The other tracks are equally bouncy and bittersweet, with the exception of "Tunnel Vision," whose intimate, textured atmosphere is led by Duterte. It opens with her hushed recollections and a repeated guitar motif, then builds density with light drums, keyboards, synth bass, and more keyboards before gradually drifting away. That outlier appears midway through the track list, and the EP closes with "Grow," whose ramshackle, clap-along power pop is still colored by a blend of keyboard timbres, jangle, voice samples, and clatter. Altogether, it lands like an ambition fully formed rather than a song-a-day lark. Home-studio outtakes that open and close Nothing's Changed remind listeners of its origins but only add to its charm. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi
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