JJ Sweetheart – Big Things (2025)
Valentine’s Day 2025 has JJ Sweetheart delving into the notion of romance with his debut EP Big Things. Having just returned from a nearly four month, 1,000 mile solo hike through the Arizona desert, Jay Simmons, a former member of Rough Trade outfit Howler and frontman of France Camp, has produced a wonderfully hazy lo-fi sound with this record.
The opening track, ‘This World’, is a great opener that gives you a clear insight into what JJ Sweetheart is all about. With a soft rhythm accompanied by chilled vocals, you can just drift off into your own thoughts until getting pulled back in by the excellent guitars, which showcase this act for the talent that he is. Taking an interesting turn for such a soft slow sound and for such a short album, the next track ‘Feral Feelings’ clocks in at minute 1 minute 25 seconds and feels like a continuation of ‘This World’ that works well when listening to the record as a whole piece of work.
Next comes ‘Too The Grave’ which sees a welcome change of pace. I got definite notes of many an indie act I’ve loved before, most notably the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men. The infusion of energy in this track brings another side to JJ Sweetheart’s sound, showcasing that we’re not dealing with a one-trick pony here and this Minnesotan has a lot more to offer.
The lead single from the EP, ‘Cinnamom’ reiterates this further with a sound I’ve heard and loved for years – funky yet calm, easy listening yet makes you want to dance. ‘Cinnamom’ in my opinion was a shrewd choice to make the lead single as it is a song which will stick around in your head long after.
Finally, ‘Heart Medal’. The final track slows the pace down again creating a lovely sandwich of contrasting sounds and is really an example of great curation from a production point of view. Taking a soft tone to bookend the EP allowed me to slow down and reflect on what I’ve just listened to.
On reflection, after listening to the record, Valentine’s Day seems to be the perfect release date, as the romanticism is evident throughout each track. Whilst all are unique, the theme of love is a clear constant. JJ Sweetheart has mentioned on social media that for his next record, he will write songs on the Appalachian Trail and continue this nomadic creative process, which is an approach I love and can’t wait to hear. Until then, I implore you all to share the love of this record and tell anyone who’ll listen, as I think we can all expect more big things from JJ Sweetheart.
Find out more about JJ Sweetheart on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
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