Aperture

by Hannah Jadagu

Overview

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, Jadagu's 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 Jadagu's 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 song's breezy chorus. "What You Did," sonically and emotionally one of Jadagu's 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 album's 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 I'm not feeling myself") that's refreshing to vent along with. She multi-tracks her voice for dynamic emphasis during the sparse beginning of "Warning Sign" ("When it's oh so loud! Could you quiet down?"), which eventually gains choppy drum programming and trippy effects. The album's 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. Jadagu's songs are memorable, creative, and highly relatable, and Aperture is an impressive first album. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	05/19/2023
Label:	Sub Pop
UPC:	0098787154405
Rank:	2624

Tracks

1. Explanation
2. Say It Now
3. Six Months
4. What You Did
5. Lose
6. Admit It
7. Dreaming
8. Shut Down
9. Warning Sign
10. Scratch the Surface
11. Letter to Myself
12. Your Thoughts Are Ur Biggest Obstacle

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Hannah Jadagu   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer
Jake Aaron   Bass
Max Robert Baby   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Synthesizer
Wolfgang Hunter   Bass,Viola,Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Sterling Smith   Photography
Dave Cooley   Mastering
Dusty Summers   Design
Jeff Kleinsmith   Design
Jake Aron   Producer
Jake Aaron   Additional Production
Marcus Linon   Mixing
Hannah Jadagu   Composer,Producer,Art Direction,Drum Programming
Max Robert Baby   Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Tymie Jadagu   Composer
Wolfgang Hunter   Composer,Producer
Andrea Chacho   Set Design
Steven Zambon   Assistant Photographer