Athens singer-songwriter Jianna Justice continues to perfect her ability to mix melody and melancholy in a way that doesn’t sound forced or melodramatic. Her new track “Plant Growth” is a beautiful slice of organic songwriting, which bodes well for the young artist’s future work.
Justice shares the breathless delivery and pop sensibilities of Lykke Li, but her vocals are concurrently bubbly and vulnerable, much like Mothers’ Kristine Leschper. Indeed, much of “Plant Growth” sounds like a Mothers track, from the intimate subject matter to the baroque guitar to the free-flowing bass. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it might be partially because Justice recorded this new track with producer Jesse Mangum, who has worked with Mothers previously.
This is Justice’s first release on MOEKE Records, the in-house label of the Glow Recording Studio, as part of their summer singles series. The series is an ambitious effort by Mangum, the studio’s owner and operator, to release a new single each week of the summer.
Justice has previously worked under the name Penny Lame. But whereas that project was a straightforward experiment in twee pop, her new solo work takes on a broader quality, mixing luscious vocals with delicately complicated instrumentation. This shift in Justice’s sound began this spring with the release of her single “Twenty,” a simple yet rich song which doubled as her first time working with Jonny Williams, the music director of WUOG, and Ben Jackson of Warehouse. Williams and Jackson join her again on “Plant Growth,” filling the roles of drummer and bassist, respectively. Despite their relatively short time working together and Justice’s past as a solo artist, the result is perfectly balanced, pulsing with an energy often sought by more established acts.
“Plant Growth” is most certainly not a rip-off of Mothers, but between the overall sound of the track and her naturalistic metaphors, Justice had the misfortune to land on a path that Mothers has already expertly trod. Still, it’s impressive that a young songwriter was able to capture the same emotional balance as Leschper. Moreover, Justice has already matured greatly as a songwriter and composer since her release of Party Songs last summer, so you can bet that her next release will carve out more unique territory as an artist.
Jianna Justice will perform on Fri., June 24 at World Famous as part of the AthFest Club Crawl. Chief Scout and the Hernies will also perform. Admittance requires the purchase of a wristband.
More Info
Bandcamp: jiannajustice.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @jiannajusticemusic
SoundCloud: @jianna-justice