JAZMIN BEAN UNMASKS ALL IN BRAND NEW RECORD ‘TRAUMATIC LIVELIHOOD’

THE DEBUT ALBUM REVEALS THE VISONARY ARTIST AT THEIR PUREST YET | BY TALLULAH SHEPHEARD

British non-binary alt-pop singer-songwriter Jazmin Bean has just released their debut album Traumatic Livelihood. This album is an incredible artistic endeavour that takes listeners on a profound journey, delving into the depths of trauma and the path toward recovery. With a dark aesthetic influenced by Tim Burton, Jazmin Bean skillfully intertwines garden imagery, featuring both flowers and dirt, to convey their message of overcoming past hardships and finding hope.

TRAUMATIC LIVELIHOOD

Opening with title track ‘Traumatic Livelihood‘, Jazmin gets straight to the point. A bubbly guitar tone eases the ear into the track before descending into a guitar heavy dreamy chorus. As Jazmin repeats, “You can’t stop me; I’ll get anything I want” they are sending a message of strength to their fans; a message which sets the tone for the album itself.

A chicken scratch leads us into fan favourite 2023 single ‘Piggie‘. The lyrics “Midlife crisis, a pervert, a virus, you’re so mature for your age” digs deep within the artists own trauma and despite of the tracks surprisingly cheerful melody, its lyrics are shockingly sad. Same applies to ‘Favourite Toy‘; “my body’s sore and I’ve done it again as you’re ripping me to shreds” and “I could leave but I’m not strong enough to run” before leaving us with “use me how you need so long as I’m your favourite toy”. For such a young artist to be able to share such vulnerability and tragedy in their songwriting is nothing short of inspiring.

Keeping with the single momentum, ‘Terrified‘ is up next. With a distorted and bubbly modulated melody, this track conveys a dooming sense of anxiety. “Oh my angel, your wings wrap around my neck, it’s so hard to find the grace for me to let my wounded spirit accept hands so warm”, the shocking imagery blended with such dreamy tones makes a beautiful car-crash of a song.

‘Is This It’ ventures further into power-pop ’emo’ platforms. Reminiscent of the likes of Paramore and other similar generation bands then you begin to get a sense of Jazmin Beans creativity.
A synth laden dreamy melody wraps itself around Jazmin’s soothing vocals in ‘You Know What You’ve Done‘. The Karma driven lyrics “Payback takes its course without lifting a finger” shows no remorse to their tormentor. The last single to be released ahead of the debut release, ‘You Know What You’ve Done‘ has quickly has quickly become another firm fan favourite.

‘Shit Show‘ comes crashing in with a punchy drum intro before a beautiful string arrangement joins in, building up into a show stopping strong chorus. “I never want to be like you, we’re not the same, I can see through all your lies, I know it must be hard for you when​ you bullshit your way through life”. Next up, ‘Fish’ opens with a discordant musical mish-mash of sounds. Leadiny the listener into a sense of utopian discontent, ‘Fish’ refers to a very personal journey of addiction through fantastical imagery. The poetry is profound; “I’m a fish that’s choking out, hook in my mouth, running to the next hit, it will never be enough”. Having previously revealed that they re-wrote this album after their recovery , a fresh sense of optimism is truly reflected throughout A Traumatic Livelihood.

Continuing down the path of recovery, ‘Black Dress’ journals the realities of addiction through a fresh perspective of sobriety. “Shopping for formaldehyde ‘cause all my friends are dying” and “I clawed my way out of the mud, and I saved my own life” digs deep to project that sense of darkness within Jazmin.

‘Best Junkie You Adore’ reflects an emotive rendition of remorse; “I hate what I am, I hate what I’ve done, I hate that I’m scared, I hate that it’s not fun, no fun anymore, I can’t find the brakes, I’ll speed, and I’ll
crash, hate my sunken fate”. The melancholic ‘Stockholm Butterfly‘ utilises the metaphorical butterfly to mark a significant transition in their own character arch; there’s a real tragedy projected within the theme of ‘stockholm syndrome’, raising red flags throughout. “That sweet child’s still inside of me, I wish that I could hold their hand, take them home and give them a bath.”

“But you can bloom once again, build your garden brand new, flowers, trees, and birds too” – ‘Charm Bracelet‘ beautifully captures the entire essence of Traumatic Livelihood before ‘Bitch With The Gun‘ marks a stronger and more accomplished version of the artist’s capabilities. Cleverly incorporating the sound of loading a gun throughout, once again this track is alluding to the fact that Jazmin won’t be stopped. Closing on ‘The Blood Brings Colour and Fluoresce‘ this song expresses a personal accomplishment which bringing the album to a natural conclusion. I grew these carnations myself, and underneath are the bodies I loved and I won’t hide it, the blood brings colour and fluoresce”. The phrase “No rain, no flowers” comes to mind; albeit with a darker twist to compliment their unique aesthetic.

Jazmin Bean’s debut album ‘Traumatic Livelihood‘ is a remarkable artistic achievement that explores the depths and complexities of trauma and recovery. With a ominous aesthetic intertwined fairytale style imagery, Jazmin Bean takes listeners on a captivating journey. This album is a testament to the power of music to transcend pain and inspire hope, proving that it is possible to make it out the other side of whatever you have experienced.

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