Something worth stopping for – that’s a promise. One of the most unique voices of this generation, an indie songwriter with a divine sense of presence in both lyric and tone. TJ Gurn releases a brand new EP this month, a modest but deeply reflective folk-pop anthemic callout on behalf of the times and the state of the self within them.
Callin’ is simple on the surface, but is ultimately a stunning collection of songs, and it starts with a sensational alternative anthem that’s beautifully hopeful yet loaded with the painful ache of disconnection and disillusion in modern life.
Four songs, perfectly circling a sense of introspection and outreach contrasted and embraced in equal parts. TJ Gurn questions the self, the state of the world, but does so with poetry, optimism, subtle brilliance, and this begins with Anything That’s Real, and takes us by the hand right through to the closing moments of Calling For Change. It’s a journey, confronting but gentle and uplifting, upbeat, and that voice is powerful – so unique and evocative, so clearly connected to the words it delivers and the soulful melodies that provide the route.
The mighty Blink Into Oblivion takes disillusion further still, the passion and grit of TJ’s voice reaching soulful new corners, but the music is as upbeat and hopeful as ever – a colourful groove, a sense of speeding past the stillness with fire in the belly.
Juxtaposition can be incredibly moving, and TJ Gurn is an artistic master of that quality. Not only does the music tackle the topics with grace, but we get dashes of electronic distortion and playful production throughout this EP – subtle twists of detail that further the explosive passion and lostness at the heart of the writing. This ‘me vs. me’ concept resounds, the energy rains down, and the performance grips in a way that leaves you keen to re-listen almost instantly afterwards.
For Wolves, folk evolves into rock, TJ’s voice and these harmonies and folk strings are gifted all the more weight amidst a distorted backdrop and higher-octane tempo. TJ’s poetry also reaches peak conceptual intrigue and mystique here, the songwriter addresses another, the listener perhaps, or it feels that way, with this relevance of ‘coming up short’ in life – the search for something better when you’re working for the machine; the clever and sudden switch from metaphor to confronting statements like ‘the bank’s been calling for your house’.
TJ balances the profound and the piercingly literal in a way that stops you in your tracks, and Wolves is a perfect example of that, a heart-wrenching listen that’s addictive to lose yourself within.
“God’s been on the hotline, and he ain’t picking up. You know you don’t have it too bad, but damn, you feel stuck.”
Calling For Change wraps things up perfectly, this journey and this brief but impactful playlist. TJ Gurn puts in a sensational performance, and captures an enthralling sense of urgency intertwined with positivity – a kind of desperation mixed with a stark awareness that life goes on regardless.
It’s mystique that again leaves the song open to interpretation, and the meaning changes somewhat with each re-visit, likely unique to each listener. That’s another strength of TJ Gurn’s songwriting. And the great thing is it’s not a burden to go back in, far from it – you want to listen repeatedly, and that quality is rare these days, in an attention economy, with the fleeting nature of connection to songs, media, people. Something of substance, that makes you want to stay – that’s what music used to be, and should be, and will soon be again, I believe; in strong supply.
Four incredible songs, not a bad moment, nor one that’s less than great, in my view.
Find TJ Gurn on Apple, Instagram.
