Alt-Rock quartet Janis Philosophy bring audiences a gorgeously crisp and softly gritty display of songwriting and performance on this single Code Blue. Combining simple, descending melodies and a chord progression to match, the song rains down around you in a hypnotic and thought-provoking way.
Where many of the lyrics seek (successfully) to intrigue and create something new for the listener, there are certain moments that simply bring it all home. The balance is strong, that freshness comes through in the opening verses – the voice sounds tired and very real, so you want to listen, you want to build that connection. When things click later on though, mainly through the repetition of ideas such as I’m losing you, or more prominently – don’t let me down – the sheer desperation and honesty of the song hits hard.
Code Blue in full feels authentically like a song that had to be written. It doesn’t seem like something the band merely threw together to start building a brand or name for themselves. It feels like real art, emotional and unavoidable in expression. Fortunately the musical strengths are there too, in full supply. The delicacy of the first two thirds of the song lets the ideas breathe, then the later build-up to intensity lets them soak you and sweep you off into the moment. This sort of effective structuring gives songs an addictive presence – you anticipate the drop, and you listen more intently to the quiet moments beforehand.
There’s a lot to like about this song and a huge part of that is the fact that it seems so damn open and honest. The music is humble, to an extent, as is the leading voice – you believe what’s being portrayed. That’s a pretty rare thing in modern music.
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