The newest offering from JJ Wilde proves she is an alt-rock force to be reckoned with. Powerful, howling vocals prevail, opening up to candid lyrics.
Speaking about the collection, JJ Wilde explains, “This album has been a long time coming and I am so excited to finally be able to share it. It started out as a writing trip to LA and over the course of my first year being signed, through many personal ups and downs, gains, losses, new experiences touring and traveling, I feel like this album perfectly represents the years of my life leading up this moment and all the changes that I have gone through, good and bad.
Between struggling to pay bills working multiple dead end jobs, toxic relationships beginning and ending, it’s all in there. ‘RUTHLESS’ will give listeners a first and very personal look into my mind, heart, and everything in between.”
‘Cold Shoulder’ blends back-beat grooves with Wilde’s signature power-chord release in a way unlike anything she’s done yet. “I don’t wanna make it out alive” epitomizes the sense of letting go that powers through the track, and the honesty that we see shining through. ‘Funeral For A Lover’ is accompanied by an emotional video, in which we see a vulnerable side to the singer. Accompanied by simple piano notes, the depth of emotion is clear; almost stark and demanding.
Explaining the track, Wilde writes, “This song is very personal to me, writing it was like a therapy session…I wrote it as a way of dealing with a relationship that I had with somebody who struggled very severely with mental health issues. It’s as straightforward as it sounds in the lyrics. It’s all coming from the heart, it’s me trying to make sense of it with myself while also trying to move forward.”
We see a slight country influence in ‘Home’, with immense guitars and headstrong vocals. The theme of disillusionment continues in ‘Wired’, where we hear about old jobs and dissatisfaction. The themes remain relatable, and the expression, consistently clear.
‘Breakfast In Bed’ shows us a journey culminating in, or at least moving toward, strength and movement. The message is ruthless; “I’m getting too old to play dumb”; too tired of repeating the same old problems. Refusing to release a one-dimensional album, JJ then gives us ‘Trouble’; a track that is truly wild and unruly, yet carefully restricted in equal measure. Emotion snaps out of its leash and is then brought back in, in an alluring tale of mistakes.
We couldn’t agree more that JJ Wilde is not only paying respect to the heart and soul of rock music, but fully chiseling her own place within the genre.
TWELVE INCH 