Jules

by Julien Chang

Overview

In some ways, it's hard to believe Julien Chang made Jules while he was a high school senior. His classical training, skills as a multi-instrumentalist, and encyclopedic knowledge of pop music all suggest the experience of a significantly older artist. However, in other, more important ways, Jules could have only been made by someone so young. The songs on Chang's debut album can't sit still -- they're just too excited by all the possibilities music has to offer. His disregard for musical boundaries and eras is even more exciting because he's more than capable of turning his omnivorous taste into something original. On "Two Voices," Chang combines dreamy Beach Boys harmonies, a soulful bassline, and gauzy synths into a thing of iridescent beauty -- and that's one of Jules' more sedate tracks. As he jumps from one sound to the next over the course of each song, the detours he takes are just as engaging as his main ideas; for example, the funky breakdowns that punctuate "Dogologue"'s breezy fusion of gamelan and '70s soft rock only make it more charming. Frequently, Jules dazzles: "Of the Past" begins as slinky disco-funk that's just a prelude to the stunning, dancerly piano solo by Jeheiel Smith, one of Chang's friends and former classmates at the Baltimore School for the Arts. "Deep Green" is subtler, yet the way it tumbles from its delicate acoustic beginning into prog rock majesty is no less impressive. "Butterflies from Monaco" is another beauty, with heart-shaped harmonies and an easygoing sway that almost disguises how much is going on in the track -- there's a guitar solo beamed in from 1968, then a rambling organ solo before it all comes together in the end. Fortunately, Chang is already wise enough to know when to pull back. Sweetly stripped-down songs like "Somerville Demo" and "A Day or Two" prove his songs have good bones, and more than a little in common with Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and Emitt Rhodes. That Jules is so hard to pin down is a big part of its appeal; wondering where he'll go next is almost as exciting as the music he's already made. One thing is for sure: This album is an introduction to a first-rate musical mind. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	10/11/2019
Label:	Transgressive
UPC:	5400863018078
Rank:	103157

Tracks

1. Deep Green
2. Of the Past
3. Two Voices
4. Moving Parts
5. Candy Cane Rainbow
6. Dogologue
7. Memory Loss
8. Somerville [Demo]
9. Butterflies From Monaco
10. A Day or Two

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Julien Chang   Primary Artist
Jeheie Smith   Soloist
Ephraim Dorsey   Soloist

Technical Credits

Julien Chang   Composer,Producer
Erica Snyder   Photography
Annelise Keestra   Design