Shiloh June is fast becoming a reliable musical and artistic presence in the Southern California music scene since relocating from Maryland. Her duo alex&shiloh have established themselves as one of the most involving tandems emerging on the scene in recent memory, but Jane likewise makes a strong claim to being a meaningful solo artist. Her new single “Down” gives ample evidence of such merit. It’s a combustible mix of first rate lyrics, commanding vocals, and a vibrant musical arrangement that seizes the imagination. June makes a deep impact with this single and it shows she’s ready to move into the upper echelon of modern pop performers. I’m more than willing to follow.
How could I not with a voice like this? She has a thousand and one ways to use her voice ranging from evocative lowers to powerful, lung-rattling highs. Her vocal dexterity extends to her phrasing as well. June has a tight grasp on maximizing her vocal firepower without her singing descending into outright histrionics. Each line comes across with dramatic emotional weight and Shiloh June never becomes too heavy-handed in her approach. The production places her voice front and center, as well, without ever shrinking the song’s musical muscle.
The music is a mix of the modern and fundamental. I love its near 3-D musical character, how it leaps out from your speakers, but there’s clearly an underlying aesthetic serving the song’s greater good. It’s grounded in clear and unwavering separation between the various musical instruments and June’s voice is thoroughly integrated into the mix. The blending of the song’s disparate elements into a coherent whole sets it apart from many other modern musical confections.
I love the song’s lyrics as well. June has given a great deal of obvious thought to striking the right tone with the song’s message. She doesn’t lay on the words, as some overwrought younger performers might, but instead achieves a spotless middle ground between the two. Shiloh June emerges from this single as a, more or less, finished product rather than raw talent. The seamless merging of voice, music, and lyrics makes for delightful, yet intense, listening.
I believe we can expect more of the same and better. She’s operating at an early peak with this song but there are mountains yet to conquer. She will get there. “Down” serves notice that Shiloh June has a fully detailed musical and lyrical vision along with the singing chops to back it up. June is an unabashed live performer, relishing the exchange between the stage and audience, and her recorded vocals retain much of that explosiveness.
It is tantalizing to imagine how much further she can go. June has a voice suited for rock, pop, contemporary or otherwise, and the captivating personality burning through will earn her a bevy of new fans. June deserves each one. She is forging her own trail through the maze of modern pop music and hitting the scene with something signature rather than regurgitating borrowed glories. We need more performers such as Shiloh June.
Chadwick Easton