Album Feature: Turn Into by Jay Som

I grew up doing a lot of DIY crafts in my bedroom. I bet you did (or still do) too. But I never came across a DIY-musician such as Jay Som until now. Based in Oakland CA, multi-instrumentalist and DIY artist Melina Duterte recorded and mixed a collection of finished and “unfinished” pop songs in her bedroom. The most impressive thing that I find about Turn Into is that everything that you hear in this entire album, all the instruments and the vocals, were performed by one person. And let me tell you again: in her bedroom. I just can’t wrap my head around how awesome that is.

The poignant style of Duterte’s songwriting can easily pass for beautiful poetry. Read on some of the lyrics of the opening track “Peach Boy” to have a feel of it:

You smoked the rest of me and crushed me on the cracked cement
If you’re so bored if you’re so grown why don’t you run away?
I’m counting the fingers off my hands

Have a listen to tracks such as “Drown,” “Our Red Door,” and “SLOW” and you will feel more of her poetic touch. Her concise and vivid writing always comes last, after forming an idea for a melody line or chord progression. Duterte started writing and recording the songs in this album when she was 19 years old until when she was 21.

Label: Polyvinyl

Year: 2016

Personal favorite/s: Next to Me, Why I Say No, SLOW