Jackie Hayes - There’s Always Going To Be Something (2021) Hi-Res

Even though Jackie Hayes’ second EP ‘There’s Always Going To Be Something’ is slathered with big, brash choruses, the world she details in her lyrics is bleak and hopeless. Growing up is tough. Materialism is omnipresent. The only break from the mundanity of everyday life is sleeping. The 21-year-old uses slanted melodies to illustrate the more banal facets of her life, and makes a compelling case for her brand of self-aware cynicism throughout: “I’ve become a dead battery/Suck out all the fun”, she sings over a squall over of distortion on crunchy opener ‘omg’. You can practically hear her eyes rolling.

The Chicago-based singer-songwriter continues to probe the disappointments of early adulthood across five tracks: she’s able to poke fun at herself while she cherry-picks the boldest elements of her ‘90s-influenced alt-rock palette. ‘have fun’ teams scuzzy production (a clever sonic reflection of apathy and numbness) with rolling waves of snare drums. And Hayes, singing often in deadpan, really hits as she makes her matter-of-fact delivery seem knowing rather than repetitive.