‘Jonatan’ is the third single from Desperate Journalist’s recent LP In Search of the Miraculous. This London four-piece follow the sweet pop jangle sounds of ‘Cedars’ and the epic, guitar led post-punk energy of ‘Satellite’ with this pop gem, sharing something new from this brilliant, thunderous firework of a record.
Falling into the hazy dreamscapes of shoegaze and longing for bright summer months, ‘Jonatan’, lyrically, is a jaunty and wistful memory of a friend romantically aligning with Jo Bevan’s own musings on the album’s spirit as the one about “terrifying beauty of hope”. Musically, ‘Jonatan”s bass-lines crash rhythmically against Bevan’s melancholic and sharp vocals, in an unflinching wave coming gently into big pop choruses, carried by Bevan’s vocal strength and disarming sincerity. ‘Jonatan’ has the magic and lightness of a pop hit. Upbeat and hung up in single, prolonged moments, it takes joy and sadness, nostalgic guitars and upbeat bass lines bravely in its stride, producing a song that lingers with us long after the first listen.
Review by Anna Siemiaczko
desperatejournalist.co.uk