Sean Jones Releases his Debut EP.
Written by: Sarah Evangelista
With everything that’s happening in the world today, we could all use something to get us feeling hopeful. Luckily for you, Toronto based artist Sean Jones released his debut EP, titled The Otherside this past Friday. Here’s our track-by-track review of the project.
Track 1: “Someday”
Starting off the album with the first track, “Someday” is a tune that keeps you intrigued from the start to finish, with its smooth beat and Sean’s raw vocals. It sounds like the two minute track explains the pain of waiting and heartbreak, with lyrics like ‘someday will my heart forget the pain, when I was standing in the rain? Someday when there’s no one left to blame, will we know we feel the same?’ “Someday takes you on a journey of reflection and doubt, after a broken heart, and definitely leaves you wanting more.
Track 2: “Mainstreet”
Right off the bat, the song begins with the sound of rain falling from the sky, which makes you think this could be a sad song. The rain is quickly overruled by a piano, and then Jones’ voice. Like you expected from the rain, “Mainstreet” is a love song, one that will get stuck in your head after you listen to it - the melody and the piano are a perfect match for each other. If you’ve ever fallen in love, this song will make you tear up, and probably make you want to text or call the person you love.
Track 3: “Nowhere”
The third song off the EP is the last single that was released before this project. “Nowhere” is the first upbeat tune you’ll hear when you listen to The Otherside in order, like a little dance break between slow songs. I’ve written a review about this song before, but the more I listen to it, the better it gets. This tune is especially special when you listen to it with headphones on (trust me, listen to the EP with headphones), you’ll hear how good the production of the song is.
Track 4: “Sleepless”
This track starts off with something that sounds like a clock ticking, which could be a symbolic meaning of time going by. “Sleepless” tells the story of losing sleep because of heartbreak, and thoughts keeping you up at night. The 4 minute track is yet another catchy one, especially near the end of it, when most parts of the tune are overlaid each other.
Track 5: “Otherside (Interlude)”
Expecting another song, listeners receive a monologue for an interlude, which hits you in your feels, if the other songs haven’t already. With the project being about lost, uncertainty, the monologue narrated by Sean Jones explains that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter what. Usually during interludes, artists use the space to fill in with an instrumental tune, but this interlude actually told a meaningful story, which personally made me appreciate the whole project a lot more.
Track 6: “This”
After being in awe of Sean Jones’ debut EP start to finish, the last song leaves you wanting more. The last song is another piano ballad, but this time, it’s just the piano and his voice, I could picture this tune playing in the background of a coming of age movie, right after a big break up, where both of the people realize they’re actually meant to be. Just after tearing up from all the other emotional songs off of the project, Sean Jones hits us with yet one more song that will get you crying one way or another.
I just find it funny how life imitates art and vice versa. In the beginning of the pandemic, I was neck-deep in the production of “The Otherside”. And with heart wrenching news hitting the headlines daily, there were many moments when this EP was the only thing giving me hope in such a hopeless reality. My wish for anyone who listens to this EP, is that it leaves you in a better place than where it found you…cause that’s what it did for me.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this pop artist is definitely one on the rise, so discover his music before he gets too popular. Sean Jones’ debut EP is an emotional rollercoaster that will make you think about the brighter end of a dark tunnel.