EP REVIEW: Jeen - For The Romance

Jeen marks her return to the music industry with her eighth major solo project ‘For The Romance’, a short, but powerful thirteen minute EP that refuses to neatly be placed into one genre. Transcending rock, pop, punk and indie, the record is a whirlwind of sound and emotion, demonstrating the Canadian songwriters' impressive ability to be versatile, but deeply personal at the same time. 

The lead single, ‘Look What You Did’ is instantly reminiscent of an 80’s synth pop track. Its punchy beat masks the raw honesty and intensity of Jeen’s lyrics, reflecting a period of lost relationships, and how to recover from them. ‘Every night, I hope to hear you calling’ is incredibly nostalgic, and demonstrates a feeling that connects Jeen to her audience by recalling a love that is now lost, yet still has the ability to play on your mind. 

The EP then shifts from the 80s synth pop beats and the punk-fueled ‘Psychedelic Silver Lining’,  to the almost dream-like, whimsical eponymous track ‘For The Romance’. The track encapsulates an artist pushing through adversity to transform frustration into embracing vulnerability. 

Across the EP, from the overwhelming drums of ‘Psychedelic Silver Lining’ to the deep intimacy of ‘Baltimore’, Jeen delivers moments of grit, the desire to be loved, and a sense of vulnerability, giving her audience a window into her life, whilst also permitting her listeners to reflect on their lives and experiences. 

Jeen concludes her EP with an intimate, stripped back cover of Labi Siffre’s iconic track ‘Bless The Telephone’. With only vocals and an electric guitar, it’s bold, emotional, and deeply vulnerable, and in its simplicity, it reinforces the true heart of the EP - an intimate reflection on endings, beginnings and the reflection and learning that comes with loss.