Transitioning from social media fame to a dignified music career is not an easy task to achieve, especially with the new wave of TikTok artists releasing gimmick tracks intended only to go viral in the present time.
But Jacko Brazier paved his own path at the end of 2018 when he launched his musical project, JXN. His smooth RNB stylings injected with a fresh breeze of alt-pop on ‘Solitude’ and ‘Red Lights’ immediately resonated with listeners and created an insane hype for what was to come.
With over 10 million collective streams on his introductory singles, the Melbourne singer-songwriter is ready to continue that growing trajectory with the release of his highly anticipated debut EP.
‘NeverASadAdventure’ is a diverse collection of tracks that hears him experimenting with his different sonical layers and diving deeper into his personality and growing artistry. While the diversity is there in the production, he cohesively ties the songs together with a consistent space theme and creates the perfect all-rounded package.
Opening with the hip-hop infused ‘TRIP’, he leans in on a darker sonic that’s a little hypnotic and creates the perfect vibe for this listening session. Taking those roots and smothering a pop lens over it, the previously released single ‘STELLAR’ and ‘Outta Space’ feat Allday & Fossa Beats give a different perspective and are definitely the more commercial inclined tracks from the collection.
Introducing a whole lot of layering on ‘EARTHGANG’ he offers the EP’s most hype track that experiments with voice distortion and pushes the boundaries on where his sound could go.
‘SKY’ is an immediate standout because he switches up his sound once again and heads towards a Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake influenced sonic which is full of pure nostalgia. His vocals are smooth and fall into the pop sound so well, and it’s actually the strongest we’ve heard his vocals to date.
Reflecting on the rekindling of old flames, he sings about the internal deliberation of whether he should fall into these feelings again. ”Been to hell its alright, when you’re not mine” he smoothly sings.
Diving into vulnerable territory, he closes the EP with his most personal reflection. ‘PROUD’ is a beautifully touching track that is dedicated to his Opa who passed away earlier this year. Created as an ode to addressing grief, he looks at wanting to forever make him proud with everything he does.
“I still carry all the lessons that you left. Damn I wish that you could see me now. Cause I just wanna be someone you’re proud of” he honestly sings.
While the song is about grief he’s contrasted the production with an uplifting and empowering pop twist that turns the hook into a huge singalong moment that will be perfect for his live show. Cue the phone lights and tears for this one.
From start to finish ‘NeverASadAdventure’ plays out as a reflective journey of self exploration. It’s a collection of candid feelings and creative experimentation that he’s put himself through over the past year and it’s come together as a strong body of work.
It perfectly sets the foundations for a further deep dive into his next full release which will probably be a little more defined after experimenting with the many different sides of his artistry on this one.