Soviet Jesus Choir – Bookshelves (Single Review)

What would happen if you mixed pure intent, musicality, and etherealness in one? You’d get the alternative rock band called Soviet Jesus Choir. Founded in 2018, the band is fronted by a talented trans female and they’re currently performing as well as promoting a single from their upcoming album.

Their soundscape is coloured by drummer Sam Kempner‘s ‘thunderously orchestral pulse’ as well as guitarist Nick Hodges‘ ‘strikingly melodious harmony’. It is then thematically led by the lead vocalist and primary songwriter, Layla Cima, who plays the art of brutally honest storytelling that also challenges the listener. They pay special attention to recording arrangements and live presentations, and this particular niche pays back with their audience responding with a highly emotive response. All in all, the band aims to seize the human condition with its mellow, harmonious and at times chaotic sound.

Let’s take a look at their new single, titled ‘Bookshelves‘.

The song starts off with a melancholic and nostalgic acoustic sequence, aided with sonic effects to amplify the effect of the sound itself. It sounds gut wrenching yet rustic at the same time, with the main vocalist Layla Cima gliding through the song with an adequate emotional timbre. It sounds pretty authentic, but I have one slight issue- the chord structure at this point, seems pretty predictable for a song that is quite mellow. It is very well mastered, and fits the conventional theme of the message they’re trying to convey, but nothing particularly stands out.

The cadence of the drums then enters the song, with a definite thunderous aura, but the drawn out melodies in the background paired with the syncopation of the drum give it a ‘metallic’ and colorful flair, giving the song more character in terms of its conventional chord structure. The song reminds me of an indie band from Singapore called ‘Stopgap’, with the way the song is composed and executed. It is very well-mastered, but predictable.

Thankfully, around the mark of 1:39, the predictability of the song wears off with a more intense segment, switching to an electric-blues mode instead of the drawn out acoustic chords. I also appreciate the main vocalist’s fluidity to seamlessly move between two singing styles, one tender and one intense. One thing that isn’t missing throughout this track is definitely authenticity- you can hear it with each note.

All in all, Bookshelves is not a bad track at all. My main gripe with it is how predictable it can sound for the majority of the song. I appreciate the slight change in mode from acoustic to electric, but I think the main segment takes too long for one to appreciate the potential complexity within the song. The members of this band are extremely talented and competent, all I think that needs to be done is a little bit of experimentation and boldness within their sound to stand out in a world where there’s many indie/alt rock bands that sound quite similar to this. I do definitely hope to hear more from them, as I definitely see potential. This song itself serves as a great gateway if you’re new to the world of alternative rock and ultimately, Soviet Jesus Choir’s soundscape.

Rating/Good – Soviet Jesus Choir returns with their new single, Bookshelves, a decent track that is well-mastered, authentic and filled to the brim with personal emotion. A little bit of experimentation is needed for their artistry to stand out, but this is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

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