Jessy Lanza - Oh No

Jessy Lanza
Oh No
2016
Spotify

This is the record that people were expecting to come from Aleissa Cara, the only problem is that Jessy Lanza made it. Oh No is filled with powerful and dark pop music that pulls the synth forward in a way that is both nostalgic and modern at the same time. Songs like "VV Violence" show that pop music does not always have to be happy places. The subjects can be dark, the outlook bleak yet the music can still hold up.  There is a huge nod to 90s R&B throughout the record but peppered in are movements to Chicago House, minimalism and disco. "Never Enough" borders right on the edge of a full out disco hit, but Lanza shows great restraint never letting the song get to a full dance groove. There is almost no fluff in her writing. She uses her lyrics almost like a bat, no subtlety just a straight crack across the face, but her delivery is so very sweet that you find yourself wanting more of the abuse. There is a few times on "Going Somewhere" where she almost smiles while singing the really high pitched notes almost winking at the absurdity of what she is singing. The production on Oh No feels very minimalist but the way it takes very thin tones and makes them fill the space is quite incredible. The frenetic energy is palpable, though the music is sweet you always find yourself sitting on a razors edge as the sounds unfold in front of you.

Pop is taken with such a grain of salt on Oh No like Lanza is perfectly fine to use it as a vehicle but really has no respect for the rules that the genre usually requires. This makes for something really free sounding, no rules ever. What really adds to this record is that push pull of music for the mases and music for the refined. Both are equally important, and equally valid, but Lanza somehow manages to find the middle ground right between them. You would think this would lead to something watered down, but the opposite is the case, Lanza gets more creative not less when she holds tight to both. You get an almost FKA Twigs vibe from Jessy Lanza but a bit less experimental and more grounded in solid song writing. However don't expect to find verse chorus verse structure here, Lanza plays around with the frame of songs throughout the record never letting you get a firm sense of where she is going. It is enthralling. Because the music is so light sounding it may feel thin to some people, but the depth and layers are really incredible once you give the album time to unfold in front of you. Oh No is a record that already is not getting it's due and that is a shame. Lanza has found a home for pop music that doesn't have to be generic and for that alone Oh No deserves much more praise.

8.2 out of 10