A collaborative EP by
Jay Som
(aka
Melina Duterte
) and fellow lo-fi-styled singer/songwriter
Justus Proffit
,
Nothing's Changed
will be an introduction for some to the latter, arriving as it does via
's label,
Polyvinyl
, following two cassette-label EPs from
Proffit
. The two met when
reached out after hearing that
Duterte
had moved to his base of Los Angeles. It's easy to understand how recording one song "for fun" turned into five upon hearing how well
's melancholy, textured pop pairs with
's thoughtful,
Elliott Smith
-like melodic and conversational vocal tendencies. Both sing and play guitar on the set;
also wrote the lyrics and added drums, while
recorded and mixed the EP and played keyboards and bass. They evidently play to strengths, offering up alternatively jangly and atmospheric tunes under partly cloudy skies. With
singing lead, the catchy, sauntering opener, "Nothing's Changed," features
on agile harmonies. At just over two minutes in length, it leaves a lasting impression, following the closing lyrics "Cut the silence with a knife/Let it echo all your life and now it's gone/You have aged and nothing's changed" with a memorable muted-trumpet solo. The other tracks are equally bouncy and bittersweet, with the exception of "Tunnel Vision," whose intimate, textured atmosphere is led by
. It opens with her hushed recollections and a repeated guitar motif, then builds density with light drums, keyboards, synth bass, and more keyboards before gradually drifting away. That outlier appears midway through the track list, and the EP closes with "Grow," whose ramshackle, clap-along power pop is still colored by a blend of keyboard timbres, jangle, voice samples, and clatter. Altogether, it lands like an ambition fully formed rather than a song-a-day lark. Home-studio outtakes that open and close
remind listeners of its origins but only add to its charm. ~ Marcy Donelson