Someone & Tessa Rose Jackson - Shapeshifter (2021) Hi-Res

Since 2017, the Dutch-British Tessa Rose Jackson has been releasing music under the name Someone. A stage name that doesn't seem very meaningful at first sight immediately takes on meaning when you discover that Jackson opted for a certain anonymity. First the music, then the person behind it. Very contrary to the evolution we have seen in recent years, in which social media in particular plays a crucial role. After a few EPs that were bundled under the name Orbit II, Shapeshifter gives us a full-fledged record in which Someone shines her light on the wonder of the human mind.

For Shapeshifter, however, she chose a Joni Mitchell-inspired photo as the cover, which immediately creates a fault line with Someone's earlier work. Warm colors and dark scenes form the background for what we hear on her long player, which incidentally originated in – how could it be otherwise – the umpteenth lockdown. The fact that Shapeshifter is a lot more personal is immediately apparent from the first listen. The songs are more intimate, although the influences that Jackson builds from are still the same. So you see that despite the same basis, it can still go either way.

Warm guitar playing on “Save Me” brings us back in our minds to cozy evenings in front of the fireplace, when our sense of time drifts further and further. The vocals are comfortably embedded in the soft musical support and even the subtle electronic sounds seem to be part of the organic whole. It is this quality that is emphasized with a thick marker throughout the album. The album is therefore completely in line with the singles that have already been released; see for example “Strange World”, which is a very big nod to the society we live in and all the crazy things that put our planet to the test.

Fortunately, we don't only get musical translations of coronablues, because we've all had enough of that. For example, “Health” is about the mental health of the people around you. She therefore calls on you to be a little nicer to yourself, something that we as humans are apparently still not always good at. The cautious verses give way to a chorus that has a lot more impact, without blowing you off your seat completely. Nowhere earth-shattering things happen, keeping the record within its own confines and taking up a comfortable place while the rain taps against the window and the dim light from street lamps floods the room. Another color palette emerges on “Take It As It Comes”, which develops into a very layered song. We almost feel like in a Disney movie where the orange morning light crowds out the darkness. This makes the song a necessary turning point, especially musically; we had almost completely slumped in our seats.