NYC-based artist Julietta has caught my attention with her debut single. “Goosebumps,” co-written with Stray Echo, an elegant composition that couples an aptitude for crafting subtle melodies with a stirring vocal delivery.
While stylistic comparisons between Julietta and Banks come to mind, “Goosebumps” utilizes less grandiose production. Without dominating bass and reverb, this is music that is intended to fill an apartment rather than a concert hall; softer, but no less intimate.
The restrained production also brings the poignant lyrics of heartbreak to the forefront and allows for the multitude of post-breakup emotions to be communicated with earth-shattering emphasis. Delivered in a voice that is simultaneously vulnerable and powerful (yet undeniably sincere), the boundaries between artist and listener dissolve as the latter is pulled into a space where being alone is acknowledged as a shared experience. Julietta sings of having goosebumps on her skin, but through her art, she provides warmth to her audience.
Like many of life’s good things, “Goosebumps” is over too soon. In lieu of the final chorus, reprisal is a dark and flustered instrumental section that contrasts wonderfully with the melodic tone maintained during the first three minutes. This brief outro invokes a sudden change in mood that may just as easily signify the achievement of emotional closure as it may imply total emotional collapse. Before we can decide, the volume is dialled down and the track fades as if it were a distant memory, the outcome remaining forever ambiguous.
Julietta is bound to gain your attention, leaving you wanting more in spite of all you’ve gotten.
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