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The second album by US singer and producer JJ Weihl, also known as Discovery Zone, incorporates elements of 80s nostalgia through a vaporwave sound, nocturnal funk-pop reminiscent of Nite Jewel, and the uplifting Balearic tunes from the Mood Hut label. The result is a unique blend of music that is both dreamy and captivating, like the kind of ballads that would be heard at a Twin Peaks bar amidst moments of otherworldly chaos.
The period detail is expertly rendered, from Fairlight-style ersatz choral vocals to the same upward-zooming synth sound used by Alice Coltrane on her meditation tapes to evoke an expanding mind – and, inevitably, there are sax solos. This palette often makes the numerous pop-ambient instrumentals here feel rather like the hold music for a healing-crystal company, and many of these are pretty forgettable.
However, Weihl’s songwriting skills are significantly stronger. On Pair a Dice, upbeat synthpop dances among haunting minor chords, mirroring the theme of the lyrics: “How can you depart when you’re trapped in someone else’s dream?” The inherent sadness of longing for the past, coupled with the comforting consumerism of 80s nostalgia, is expertly portrayed through the album’s catchiest tune, “Mall of Luv” – “Take me back to the Mall of Luv / I want to purchase it, I want to reside within it” – satisfying listeners who may have set aside their John Maus records after he participated in the January 6th attack on the Capitol. There are also hints of Julia Holter on “Test,” reminiscent of a forgotten cabaret hall, and once again, the lyrics transport you away from the mundane: “Heaven is a place where money can’t buy you anything / tomorrow awaits, filled with endless surprises.” Weihl’s strongest moments evoke the pasts we choose to romanticize, perhaps never experiencing them to begin with – cherished illusions of a society seeking refuge from the current horrors of reality.
Source: theguardian.com
