JES - Memento - 2CD (2022)

To say that the fifth album from JES has been a long awaited one would be
something of an understatement. It’s been twelve years since the singer
released her last longform, the critically acclaimed ‘High Glow’. Casting
your eyes over ‘MEMENTO’s 28-strong double-disc’s worth of music though,
you’ll quickly start to get an idea of where all that time has gone.

Most would consider it ambitious to attempt to bridge so many years with
one album. In actuality what JES has done though is bigger still, and the
clue to that lies in its title. In certain respects, ‘MEMENTO’ could be
viewed not as a JES album, but the JES album.

Of its creation, JES says, “it’s been a long time since I worked on putting
together an album. Once we started on the tracklist and new ideas, it
quickly grew until it was obvious that we would need to rethink its
delivery format. I wanted to make something that showcased not just what I
am doing right now but also the progression from where it all started. It’s
been an amazing journey with so many watershed moments. That’s where the
name ‘MEMENTO’ came from. It’s like a souvenir for myself as much as
anybody.”

JES is an artist who’s been comfortable working in a solo capacity for
longer than most. That’s evidenced throughout ‘MEMENTO’, where greater than
half its tracks carry her name and hers alone. As ever, they’re hallmarked
by honest lyrics and true-self reflections, where JES’ first-hand
experiences of life and love inform her work. While many carry that club
pulse, others - ‘We Belong To The Night’, ‘Tight Wires’, ‘Forever Young’
among them, are less dancefloor-centric, with more, laidback, downtempo or
daytime intents. Other JES standalones on the album began life with more
radio-oriented natures, before being remixed into the clubbier night. Among
those lending additional perspectives are Disco Fries, Andy Moor, ReOrder
and Robert Nickson. The album also includes Will Atkinson’s reworking of
‘Imagination’, which, on release, topped the Beatport chart for close to a
month.