JW Paris photographed by Alex Estrella
It is very hard to surprise a music reviewer. If a band, we know very well, suddenly announces that their new material is different from their previous songs, we normally take such declarations with a cup of salt. Sound changes are actually very rare, genre changes even rarer. In my 20 odd years of being a journalist, I think I can count examples of real innovations to the band’s established sound on the fingers of one hand and none of them would be linked to a rock band. Everything else is just PR, marketing and some cosmetic alterations: a sax here, a piano there, maybe occasional synth passage or a rapper as a guest vocalist. It’s so thrilling for artists to be seen as groundbreaking, genre-bending or revolutionary but it’s not so easy to leave old habits behind. Changes do not have to be radical to be noticeable, they have to be smart. “Leave It Alone”, a new single from JW Paris is one of the best examples of how a smart change can look (or rather I should say), sound like.
London based trio, JW Paris have been around for a while on the independent circle and they established themselves as the leading indie/alternative rock outfit with a flair for brit pop grittiness and dirty, grungy 90’s inspired guitars. They are dual fronted, with two male singers, Aaron Forde (bass) and Daniel Collins (guitar) and a mad rhythm section in the form of Gemma Clarke, the best drummer in the world, in my humble opinion. Their songs are easily recognizable, balancing the indie heaviness with sweet, radio friendly vibes. We have covered a couple of their last singles on Indieterria so we are very well acquainted with what they do. Their last release, a cover of Chris Isaak’s classic “Wicked Game”, surprised us a bit as it was something that I never thought I would hear in their repertoire. The real shocker came a couple of days ago when the band sent us the fully mastered version of “Leave It Alone” for review and I actually had to listen to it a couple of times to make sure I had the right band.
“Leave It Alone” single cover
“Leave It Alone” heralds the arrival of a new EP later this year but more interestingly, introduces a completely new direction for the band. The song is darker, angrier, slower, almost psychedelic. There is more coldness in the music, more “air”, the guitars are rawer. Less 90’s chirpiness and more 80’s post punk, cold wave, heavy rock. It’s still JW Paris, half a minute into the single, we reach the first chorus and the listeners will automatically recognize the band’s famous dual vocal harmonies and lyrical repeats (“Drop me at the same time“). Nonetheless, the song is like a new, updated version of the trio. The drumming is very rhythmic, like a marching army. The guitars are distorted, pulsing, and in certain moments remind me of the whistling of a steam engine. I could say that the trio is maturing, but this wouldn’t be a fair description of their previous releases. They weren’t silly pop songs but full-blooded rock tracks dealing with serious topics of loneliness, depression, alienation or lack of hope. JW Paris is taking a different route than usual – I’m not sure where it will take them but I’m very excited.
“’Leave It Alone’ is a deeply personal song that reflects our own inner journey of self-discovery and acceptance” – says the band in their official statement attached to the song. “With honest lyrics and a haunting melody, it invites our audience and listeners on an introspective exploration of identity and the longing for inner peace.”
The song was recorded at Buffalo Studios, produced by JB Pilon and mastered by 2023 award-winning engineer at Air Studios, Cicely Balston. It is being released today on Blaggers Records.
JW Paris photographed by Alex Estrella
With their new found outlook on life and ourselves, more philosophical insight of who we are and where we are going, JW Paris are reinventing themselves again and again. “Leave It Alone” sounds like a recording from a brand-new artist, but it is based on the solid foundation the trio laid in the last couple of years. I’m not sure if everyone will appreciate what they are doing but the new song should help them reach new heights. I’m now wondering what the band prepared for us on their sophomore EP.
We will have to be patient and wait. I have the new single on repeat and I’m happy to report that the more you listen to it, the more you love it
You can follow JW Paris on socials:
www.facebook.com/jwparismusic
www.instagram.com/jwparismusic
www.twitter.com/jwparismusic
www.youtube.com/c/jwparis
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Eh8L6V40D5B70XCOucwE3
tiktok.com/@jwparismusic
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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