Portland – J Fernandez is bringing his bedroom pop to fruition with his latest release, Many Levels Of Laughter. The solo artist recorded the entire album alone in his Chicago bedroom, which is an impressive feat since each song’s production requires layers of instrumental elements to accomplish the innovative sound. Fernandez’s pop embraces the experimental with subtle nods to the more extravagant productions of the 1980’s, but he’s not alone in his resemblance to the glitzy era. From Future Islands to the Cliff Martinez-produced Drive soundtrack, the chaotic, synth-centric sound has been steadily making a comeback for years. J Fernandez takes a different, more contemporary approach however, with an expressive but vibrant example of pop at it’s most vulnerable.
J Fernandez isn’t your typical atmospheric pop artist. The Chicago-based singer and producer is his own instrument in many ways. He is able to deconstruct his own production with elements of tightly packaged, elegant noise at the base of it. Many Levels Of Laughter follows his 2014 Memorize Now EP. While the two explore different sounds, they compliment each other in a way that shows Fernandez’s evolution and ability to experiment with genre. While Memorize Now and Many Levels Of Laughter are indisputably inventive, they aren’t reproductions of each other, proving that Fernandez isn’t likely to recreate the same thing twice, but instead continues to master a sound that is reclusive and inviting in different ways.
Many Levels Of Laughter is catchy and upbeat, of course, but experimentation is where he thrives. The album’s fourth track, “Casual Encounter” has one of the best leads with a bouncy guitar overlaid with dramatic synth. He emphasizes the unexpected with the additions of flutes and violins, which only make the track that much more dramatic. Fernandez doesn’t just keep the listener engaged through these creative and upbeat aspects; he isn’t afraid to go darker on “Filled With Joy.” The song opens like a ballad, laying out exactly what the tone will be with a candor only truly open lyrics can create: “Sometime I feel like I / can hide behind the storm / sometimes I think I might be wrong… I call around at places where we used to stay / you came / after I’d gone.” “Filled With Joy” is a total deterrence from “Casual Encounter,” its predecessor, not just in production but also in ambiance. Where “Casual Encounter” brings the listener is a much different, more joyous place than where they are left in the subdued “Filled With Joy.”
We must marvel at the fact that Many Levels Of Laughter was a small-scale production with a large-scale reward. Fernandez is able to craft an album full of loneliness and wonder, of innovation and reflection. The album was produced entirely on the artist’s own, but each track is full of substance—that isn’t easy to do on one’s own. Though music started as a hobby for the cartographer born to Filipino immigrants, suffice to say that music is his calling.
Many Levels Of Laughter was released via Joyful Noise Recordings June 9th. Follow J Fernandez ’s tour dates here and like him on Facebook for updates.
Dakota Smith
Follow her on twitter in case she says something funny: @LikeTheStates
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