Album Review: Sweet Jean - Dear Departure

There are few duets these days that can compare to the beautiful, sincere and evocative sound of Sweet Jean – a Melbourne duo with a sound to leave you breathless and inspired. Their debut album Dear Departure is an assortment of tales you can relate to, with songs about love (Tomorrow Morning) alongside thoughtful songs that ooze reassurance and hope (Rise And Fall). Tomorrow Morning offers a wave of airy, folk-inspired sound to welcome listeners into the album. The first seconds introduce the tender and harmonious sounds of Sime Nugent and Alice Keath, both of whom are talented singer-songwriters in their own right. Together as Sweet Jean, they are a force to be reckoned with. Uptempo, down-to-earth track Rise And Fall showcases Keath's delightfully bubbly lead vocals for the most part, and features a catchy chorus of “It's rising steady, the fall is only the start” – which will resonate in your thoughts and give you hope for those moments where you lack inspiration and drive.

Sweet Jean's debut single Shiver And Shake is an explosion of sound, with a beat that lends itself to a little bit (okay, maybe a lot) of head bopping, and a tug-o-war of lead vocals between Nugent and Keath that ends in the culmination of something amazing. Each song on the album is simple in its overall sound, but is composed with enough precision that each track presents an entirely different atmosphere. With an honest and full sound, coupled with catchy melodies and heart-melting vocal harmonies, Sweet Jean will leave you singing, thinking and reminiscing well after the album has finished.