Published
Some records make a grand entrance. And then there are others like Billboard Heart that move in without asking permission. At first, you don't see them coming. They surround you. And months later, it all becomes clear.
I came to Jessica Dobson in pieces. First through “Lights Out” and thinking: is this The Sugarcubes? Then Bárbara posted “What Do I Know” in our friends' WhatsApp group. Luis replied immediately. And I got the signal. Later came “Billboard Heart”, direct, with a melody that burrows deep inside you. And recently, her version of Massive Attack's “Teardrop”: that was when I said “wow” out loud.
Before you know it, you have four songs on your playlist and go looking for the full album. It's their fourth album. And yes: this is the real deal.
Behind Deep Sea Diver, the Seattle-based indie rock project, is Jessica Dobson: vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter. Alongside her are her husband Peter Mansen on drums, Elliott Jackson on guitar and synthesizers, and Garrett Gue on bass.
And Dobson is no newcomer. Before founding Deep Sea Diver in 2012, she had already spent time on stages and in studios as guitarist for Beck, The Shins and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It shows. She has a session player's craft and a leader's soul.
Billboard Heart is 11 songs that won't let you do anything else. They demand attention. This is not background noise.
“Emergency”, with its guitars and bass, is brutal. “Shovel” has bite, that blend of tension and elegance. On “Tiny Threads”, Jessica's voice stands out, with an intimacy that draws you in. “Let Me Go”, with Grammy winner Madison Cunningham, is the breaking point. “Be Sweet” slows things down without losing tension, leaving you in a strange state somewhere between calm and alert. And the closer, “Happiness Is Not Given”, disarms you. Who wouldn't be moved by a title like that?
In between, Dobson plays with layers of crystalline guitars, synthesizers that don't decorate so much as drive, and a very solid rhythm section. It sounds like Seattle indie rock without the nostalgia. More direct, brighter, with its heart on its sleeve.
If you like St. Vincent, TV on the Radio or Sharon Van Etten, this album will speak the same language. But with its own accent. Warmer, more human.
Billboard Heart doesn't win you over on the first listen. It wins you over on the fourth, the fifth, when you're already living with it. And then you understand why you play it more often than usual.
85/100