Jhana Allan has expanded her sonic palette with ‘Fake Paradise’, a genre-hopping project that marks the Uralla-based singer-songwriter’s sophomore album.
The 10-track release, a follow-up to Jhana Allan’s 2019 debut ‘Darkest Night’, is the result of a collaborative effort with folk musician Rachel Baiman and Grammy-winning engineer Sean Sullivan, as well as sessions musicians like Cy Winstanley, Jon Epcar, Lauren Horbal and Steve Haan.
Sprawling and eclectic, ‘Fake Paradise’ traces Jhana Allan from folk to jazz and classic rock, all while exploring themes of desire, addiction and the need for rest.
The album begins with the glittery acoustic guitars of ‘Second Skin’, a stripped-back opener that rightfully forefronts Allan’s vocals.
It’s the perfect entryway into the world Allan creates on ‘Fake Paradise’, coasting on relatively sparse instrumentation that veers from folksy rhythms to punchy drums and propulsive bass.
The subtle grittiness of ‘Second Skin’ is intentional on Allan’s part, since it reflects on her tendency to “take on other people’s qualities out of a lack of security,” she explained in a press statement.
“There’s a bitterness to it, but also a strength.” The sunlit guitar melodies continue on ‘Pink Flower’, a slow-going, indie-rock ditty that feels purpose built for an afternoon bike ride.
For all its warmth — which comes to include layered vocal harmonies and plucky riffs — the track is belied by otherwise melancholic lyricism, which finds Allan in the throes of heartbreak.
Despite its sonic diversity, the one throughline of ‘Fake Paradise’ is Allan’s intimate storytelling and vulnerable vocals, both of which get their purest moment in the spotlight on album standout ‘Scheming Plans’.
Backed only by finger-picked guitars, ambient keys and sporadic percussion, Allan details her desire to commit herself anew and take time to rest and breathe.
This introspective focus of the album results in some truly poetic lyrics, like her feeling of being “a leaf swept up in it all” on ‘Teeth’ or her clever wordplay while reflecting on urban blues with ‘Melbournecholy’.
Later, ‘Only Rope’ offers the album’s clearest folk cut, with infectious talky delivery reminiscent of Stella Donnelly and harmonies so airy they might just touch the heavens, before ‘The Hours’ welcomes Allan’s grittier edge.
Punchier drums and screechy guitars sketch new contours of her sound, as she delivers a passionate manifesto on ruthlessly moving forward.
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“I don’t wanna go back to how my mind was before,” Allan pines, as the instruments swell around her to cathartic effect.
Elsewhere, ‘Easy Grace’ serves up a piano ballad and the album’s most enrapturing vocal performance, while the penultimate title track brims with shimmering cymbals and a searing takedown of someone who only offers a “fake paradise.”
Though she treds melancholic territory that feels both intimate and universal, Allan’s efforts culminate with a moment of optimism.
Final track ‘Made It’ offers something of a diaristic love letter to herself, reflecting on the pain and heartbreak that led her here with a hopeful note of what’s to come.
“You made it this far with a broken heart,” she reminds herself alongside regal strings, “you can do it again.”
It’s a worthy closer to an album that’s transcendent both in storytelling and sound, as Allan invites us into her delicate soundscape and showcases her impactful artistry.
Listen to Jhana Allan’s new sophomore album ‘Fake Paradise’ below.
