We review the debut record from Jubillee – You and I – following the success of their debut single ‘Don’t Make Me Look Into Your Eyes’ that leaped to the number one spot on the UK iTunes country chart and following single ‘Bed of Lies.’
2020 seems to be the year for discovering new talent and artists, just so new duo JuBillee comprised of Justine Wilson and Billy Warren have burst onto the scene with their breakout singles ‘Bed of Lies’ and ‘Don’t Make Me Look Into Your Eyes.’ Their quirky and original sound sets them apart, a rock-tinged, country-pop sound that is immensely engaging and palatable and is thick with a nostalgically 80s-tinged sound.Â
Swinging between resplendently joyous tracks to more quietly meditative and pensive moments, ‘You and I’ shows the sonic landscape of JuBillee that is vast and diverse and is a brilliant introduction. Bombastic opener, ‘A Party Ain’t A Party’ opens the record with a Fleetwood Mac-esque swinging rock that proffers a fun introduction to those who don’t know the duo.
Already released track, ‘Bed of Lies’ gets to the heart of the duo. Here, the thick harmonies are resplendent, gloriously rich and decadent in their range ‘I won’t be coming with you tonight, I’ll watch you crash and burn, I already learned you had me sleeping in a bed of lies.’ It is definitely one of the stronger tracks on the record and a shrewd choice as a single.
With the huge, quirky production, it is easy at times to forget the core strength of the duo’s harmonies and vocals on the record. On ‘Gasoline,’ Justine’s vocals soar in a stripped back, effulgent moment that is really something special to behold. So too in later track, ‘Little Darlin’ that bears an almost Cyndi Lauper-esque quality, her vocal soars again, though the production is much more layered here with groovy and effervescent backing vocalists. Undoubtedly, in the more pensive tracks like ‘I Wonder Who Is Loving You Tonight’ those stunning unique qualities on their vocals are underlined yet further and on ‘My Father Told Me’ where the production gives them more space for the vocals and harmonies to ring out and in ‘So Over Loving You’ where Justine’s range is given full capacity to shine.
There is a certain joy about the album that should also not be underestimated, in fun and flirty tracks like ‘Something Inside’ to the sassier licks and riffs on ‘Getting Over You’ that bear the power and sass of a Gretchen Wilson track to the more bombastic and hugely nostalgic ‘The Last Time’ that bears the hallmarks of a bigger band U2/Bon Jovi-esque sound and in the effervescently joyful love song ‘Don’t Make Me Look Into Your Eyes.’
There is so much to unpack on this debut album that packs a real punch and will doubtless make a big mark on the UK country landscape, in carving out a uniquely ‘JuBillee’ sound. There is an absence of musical cliches on the record that make it immensely appealing, from The Corrs to ABBA and 90s pop, it’s all here in a glorious melting pot covered with a country edge that makes it immensely appealing. If this is a debut, we can’t wait to see what JuBillee do next.Â
