The prolific singer-songwriter Jen Ash returns with a heartfelt single that’s incredibly compelling, neat, moving, and soulful.
Jen Ash, a Los Angeles-based artist, and a former basketballer turned musician, has been turning heads for quite some time now, with her catalog of music coming to the 200k listens to a milestone on Spotify quickly. Her latest single, titled Trouble, is a soulful display of vocal talent, along with rich musical choices that sound at once rich and dramatic, while being grounding and familiar, which display Jen as a capable, mature musician who deserves attention and admiration.
Trouble is dominated by a sparkly piano that plays a consistent, hypnotic 8th-note rhythm, sticking closely to the grandiose chord progression. The drums are hard-hitting. Slow, and spaced-out passages make these drums hit deep and lend them weight and power, which goes along with the minimal and foreboding sub-bass. Perhaps most notable in the arrangement is the sublime between Jen’s vocals and a juicy alto saxophone that does not let go of the song, playing almost throughout. Taking seeming full liberties, the saxophone largely mimics Jen’s vocal melodies but does more often than expected veer off and play some tasty and masterful licks and phrases that beautifully fill in the gaps with warmth and charisma, which perfectly compliments Jen’s vocal performance, which is fragmented and loaded with soul, which shows in the inflictions of her voice. The end result is dramatic and grand, full of detail and nuance, but never once sounds bloated or excessive, managing to remain tasteful and mature throughout.
Trouble is an exquisite single from a singer-songwriter who’s creating noteworthy ripples with her releases. Listening to Troubles makes it easy to see what the hype is all about. Jen’s style is compelling, her songwriting is relatable and exciting, and her voice is touching. I’ll be waiting for more from Jen Ash.