We’re glad to announce that London, United Kingdom-based alternative/indie rock artist Jem Doulton has released a new single, entitled “Love Ain’t Enough (Sometimes).”
Jem Doulton plays in numerous projects, including for Thurston Moore (as part of the live band on and off since 2014; on the albums Spirit Counsel and By The Fire; and on the singles “Cease Fire” and “MX Liberty”), for Róisín Murphy (touring drummer since 2015), as well as for many alternative projects on the east London scene that span genres such as psych-rock and free improvisation. He’s also performed concerts at many renowned venues and music festivals as Glastonbury, Hammersmith Apollo, Sziget Festival, Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Albert Hall, Lollapalooza, Fuzz Club Festival, Sage Gateshead, The Roundhouse, El Rey, Coachella, Primavera Santiago, Williamsburg Music Hall, Melbourne Forum, Enmore Sydney, New York Pride, Siren Festival, Yota Space Moscow, Les Ateliers Claus, Cafe Oto, Abbey Road, Trabendo, Bull & Gate Kentish Town, and BBC 6 Festivals; and his music has been featured on Later with Jools Holland as well as on KCRW.
Throughout his music career, Jem Doulton has met some distinctive and powerful fellow musicians; and having written some tunes, Jem asked if they’d like to bring their skills on board. The result is Jem Doulton’s upcoming album, Perfect Picture, for which he’s releasing each song as a single over the course of a year as a sort of serialization and journey that slowly reveals itself. Psych band The Oscillation’s Dem Castellanos (who Jem drums for) mixed the tracks, and with Jem, co-produced the tunes. Camaraderie, a sense of fun, and political absurdity are all elements that run through the album, alongside some shoe-gazing inward-looking ballads.
Special guests on the album include Sam Ayres, Luke Barlow, Benji Bouton, Dem Castellanos, Ben Doulton, Deb Googe, Rachel Kenedy, Agathe Max, Jamie McCredie, Thurston Moore, Tom Relleen, Kevin Toublant, Alex Ward, Michael Winawer, and Joe Winawer (Mike’s son) with the Fountayne Road Choir of N15 (aka Little Italy). Jem Doulton has previously released six singles from Perfect Picture, including “The Thingly Thing,” “The Roam” (our review here), “My Brain’s In My Skin” (our review here), “Suddenly You’re In The Sahara,” “Perfect Picture” (our review here), and “The Cows Came Home” (our review here).
“Love Ain’t Enough (Sometimes)” is the seventh track released from Jem Doulton’s upcoming album, and is the break-up song to end all break-up songs. The song was co-written with Rachel Kenedy, whose dreamy lead vocal floats effortlessly over the track, while Sam Ayres’s guitar chords hit hard towards the end. Both Rachel and Sam are two-fifths of the studio band Fuse Box City alongside Jem.
The track begins with layers of ethereal, wavy synths, their progression harmonizing nicely with Rachel Kenedy’s bittersweet vocal melodies; while the steady rhythms of the drums and bass create a pleasantly hypnotic, relaxed mood throughout. Midway through the track, a melancholic yet bright-toned synth melody is accompanied by chiming, bell-like sounds before Sam Ayres’s fuzzy, distorted guitar chords enter, adding further depth and an element of heaviness to the track while further sustaining its hypnotic, shoegaze-like atmosphere. An eerie, organ-like keyboard melody then joins in, nicely complementing the distorted guitar chords with a psychedelic touch to conclude the track. “Love Ain’t Enough (Sometimes)” is quite an enjoyable listen, showcasing Jem Doulton’s brilliant songwriting and excellent musicianship; I would highly recommend this track to fans of alternative rock/pop and shoegaze alike.
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also check out his official website. If you enjoy his music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
You can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Sickest & Dopest, and Female Rising Stars.
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