- An introspective yet empathetic LP that uses modern, crossover-friendly dance music as a vehicle for overcoming heartbreak.
- "Nice album rollout you got there. How much heartbreak did it cost you?" JEWELSSEA half-truthfully joked on X upon the release of her debut album, Dwelling. If you follow the Philadelphia-based musician's social accounts, it's obvious that her misfortunes in love are what manifested the debut album into existence.
JEWELSSEA's nine-year career set her up nicely for the stylistic diversity expressed on Dwelling. In 2015, she started as a hip-hop producer before transitioning to high-energy, breakbeat-forward electronic music in 2019—the same year she cofounded the rave series ALT + ESC. In 2020, she released it's all love, a 28-track mixtape of downtempo meditations that braced listeners for the evocative sound she would go on to use in her first full-length. This brief album—hovering at just under 30 minutes—blends jungle, breakbeat, East Coast club and electro into textural soundscapes that make Dwelling an allegory for a failed romance.
JEWELSSEA, who once called herself the female version of Overmono, knows she might not exactly be discovering new territory with Dwelling. But she also understands that there's value in making music accessible. She introduces Dwelling with twinkling keys and classical strings in "Destination Unknown," setting up the introspective motif that becomes clearer over the next six tracks. A subtle jungle drum pattern kicks in for a minute-long buildup, and leads into the bright vocals that hint at her ultimately happy ending.
Dwelling showcases all the oscillating emotions of unrequited love, and its ups and downs also might cause its listeners to imagine past grieving processes. "Destination Unknown" and "If You Change Your Mind" are two parts of the bargaining stage, with the latter acting as a last-ditch effort to save an inevitable break-up. Through the producer's own whispering vocals, we hear her fickle attempts at a second chance as she sings, "If you change your mind I cannot guarantee / That I'll be waiting for you / Still the offer stands although it's dwindling."
JEWELSSEA might feel as if she's hitting a low by wanting to salvage the relationship, but seeing her lean more into her vulnerability is one of the record's highs. "Heal Our Inner Child And Chill" also plays a role, symbolising the upward turn with echoing vocals repeatedly chanting "moving on" as a mantra. Her voice floats atop cascading synths and frantic breakbeats that snap her out of the cycle of rumination. The message almost gets lost in "Last To None"—the electro cut is the only one that reaches upwards of 128 BPM. While it's a pleasant change of pace, JEWELSSEA's attempts to tie it back to the others through airy loops that flow through the deep, hypnotic vocals and pulsing percussion, fall a bit flat.
The two closing tracks, "I Could Get To Know You" and "Reassurance," glow with the childlike optimism of the LP's opener. "Reassurance" brings Dwelling full circle back to jungle, with glimmering keys that cascade down the song's dreamy backdrop. These last two songs burst with hope after the desperation of the middle section. JEWELSSEA is almost painfully self-aware on Dwelling. Her introspective songwriting captures the daunting experience of picking up the pieces after an earth-shattering heartbreak. Her debut album is what an A24 coming-of-age romance soundtrack would sound like if it were a dance record—and I mean that in the best way possible.
Tracklist01. Destination Unknown
02. Heal Our Inner Child And Chill
03. Standby
04. Left To None
05. If You Change Your Mind
06. I Could Get To Know You
07. Reassurance