‘Jessie’ by Jake Minch - Coming-of-age narratives with delicate childhood feelings.

Jake Minch’s latest project, ‘Jessie’, was full of fan favourites before it even released, an impressive feat for an artist who has only been putting out music officially for a year. Produced by Ryan Linvill, like most of Minch’s work, the titular song ‘Jessie’ is an acoustic song exploring the difficult dynamic that comes with wanting to help a loved one who doesn’t seem to accept your help.

The final chorus sees Minch at his most vocally emotive, belting ‘Hate that everything you say/ Always has a double meaning’, regretfully pondering ‘Wonder how it gets this bad’, yet still promising ‘Everybody’s on your team’, amongst all the frustration, love, and mixed feelings. Aside from the vulnerable vocal delivery and catchy melodies that you can always find in a Jake Minch song, his real selling point is his authentic storytelling, lacing coming-of-age narratives with delicate childhood feelings.

It feels like having to handle your emotions, having to do the adult thing of holding your pulsating heart in your hand, while still having the squeamish, panicked feelings of being a kid. The minimalist production on ‘just be ur friend’ gives the song an in-the-room sort of quality, making you feel like you’re right there, and there is nothing to hide. The mention of ‘asking Max about it’ in ‘Jessie’, and the titular subject of the song, is in itself a device of Jake’s storytelling- the casually detailed narration envelopes you in his world, assumes you know all about ‘Max’ and ‘Jessie’, and suddenly, you’re just friends, it’s just dialogue, except there’s a crescendo of horns, guitars, drums, in the background.

The minutiae of life is the focus of the music, and candour is the microscope, as in the ‘drinking song’ lyrics ‘I put my things/ In a grocery bag/ Suck a couple more down/ Bum a cigarette’, sung in a simple, repetitive melody reminiscent of a circa 2005 Conor Oberst song. Finally, this drawling list of things leads Minch to the ultimate conclusion, ‘I miss you man’, in this way, the truth is hidden in the paraphernalia, to be read by Jake, who seems to live just  between the lines.

As Minch himself describes, these stories have ‘made (him) honest’, and we have the pleasure of bearing witness to his open letters, difficult conversations, and nostalgic lamentations.