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Live Review: Janeva pens an emotional banger with ‘You & I’

10 April 2017 | 6:31 pm | Holly O'Neill

Not many songs are written about those will they won't they relationships, but JANEVA has managed it with her new track ‘You & I’.

Not many songs are written about those kind of intangible relationships where neither person wants to make a move, but JANEVA has managed to articulate this perfectly with her new track, ‘You & I’. The Melbourne based singer, songwriter and occasional producer has featured on tracks by LONDON TOPAZ and DUGONG JR in the past and, apart from a selection of covers available on her Soundcloud, this is her first original solo release.

Presenting itself as stripped back, half tempo RnB in the verses, this track surprises in the chorus introducing synth hits, wubby bass and chopped vocals. The lyrics perfectly convey the feelings of angst and pining you feel in this turbulent situation, and the longing for security and reciprocated feelings are just a few of the themes she explores. This situation is ripe for emotional songwriting and some of the lines really hit you, for example “Unexplainable connection/ but it was love without direction,” - we’ve all been there.

The track’s composition is very simple but is executed so well you would never pick it, with its foundations on a three chord progression that’s repeated throughout. Instead of growing stale, the progression is played by different synths, more melody is introduced, and syncopated bassy rhythms help keep the track interesting. The changing vocal range differentiates the vocals of the verse and the chorus, while also showing off what Janeva can really do. Towards the end, she flexes her vocal chops even further, improvising and giving this song an optimistic finale. However the track is somewhat dark overall, mirroring the uncertainty of the lyric’s source material, with her higher range vocals perfectly complementing the deep brooding production.

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This track was tailor made for Janeva, with the production cushioning her soulful voice while lifting it to another level. With such a strong debut offering, the only way to go from here is up and hopefully we’ll be hearing more from Janeva in the coming months.

PHOTO BY LIEKOGRAPHY

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