Introducing a fearless exploration of emotional turmoil and heartbreak, songwriter and artist Jaye Rsvd follows an original creative pathway, through thoughts of desperation and darkness both gripping and painfully relatable for many.
tmj <3 is a six-track EP devoted to the loss of someone special, and it begins with the ambient and ethereal melodic vastness of a seemingly suicidal Pessimist, before evolving into the piano-led intensity and heightened emotion of a profoundly poignant follow-up, Goodnight.
Musically eclectic and vocally distinct, Jaye Rsvd’s voice throughout this EP is a clear guiding light. Despite the longing and pain of the lyrics, the tone and evocative expression is unmistakable – the passion and the tiredness in equal parts, carving out a lane decidedly unique to the artist.
For Goodnight, ‘So this is it’ resounds and pierces through the noise of the world, for an alternative emo-ballad of sorts, with sublime production that softly but securely highlights the heartfelt and poetic tendencies of the writing. A defiant early highlight, and a central beating heart of the project, in many ways.
Organic later evolves into lightly trip-hop inspired, atmospheric electronic depth, as Shadows quickens the vocal pace, for another unabashedly vulnerable exploration of self and the struggle to accept the painful loss of a loved one. Heavy bass and vocal adlibs quickly nudge this track towards the adlib freedom of art-rap, the production equally creative and quirky, and the flow continues to keep things unpredictable but well-grounded amidst the ideas and feelings of these Shadows.
Promise feels hopeful afterwards, the lyrics linger as if a new page in the same story, and the voice is recognisable as ever. This moment lasts barely a minute, before the lo-fi jazz warmth of Wings raises the mood further still, for a welcomed shift in intention and vibe. The rhythm and vocal pace now showcase a whole new side to Jaye Rsvd the artist – longer-form bars and an upbeat groove presenting a sense of romantic escapism; almost the stark opposite of the ache and uncertainty of Pessimist.
Instrumental freedom then captivates beautifully, for the unexpectedly brief acoustic outro of lozT. Always Jaye Rsvd achieves an impressive balance between the relatable suffering of loss and the more fearlessly personal touches; those that reflect the genuine depths of an individual journey and the impact of such difficult finality.
Absolutely an impressive creative for this kind of genre-fusing, artistic expression. Jaye Rsvd leads with a voice and lyrical supremacy that compel you to tune in more closely – a certain kind of cleverness and beauty in writing and designing, which appears to embrace listeners and simultaneously shine light on the true depths of devastation; of time’s unrelenting effects on life and the world.
Find Jaye Rsvd on Facebook, Instagram & Bandcamp.
