The rise of female-led electro-pop bands has been the biggest genre trend to hit music in the past few years. Artists such as Lana Del Rey and CHVRCHES have created a market for this new style, and the genre’s front-running artist Lorde was one of the major stars in the music community last year. Now, Mr Little Jeans (performing title of Monica Birkenes) enters the scene with her debut album Pocketknife. The album is fun and easy to listen to, but it’s hard to say how well Mr Little Jeans stands out against the rest of the crowd.
Pocketknife opens with the sprightly “Rescue Me,” which sets a basic but radiant tone. The promiscuous surf pop sound of “Lady Luck” continues to carry the lively tone, making for one of the album’s catchiest tracks. “Oh Sailor” chimes in with a very ominous intro verse, but unfolds into a beautiful chorus of children singing, with the ringing of bells establishing a pleasant background jingle. Mr Little Jeans does a uniquely fine cover of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs,” slowing down the song with a drab ambiance and hypnotically sluggish synthesizers.
The album suffers most from its lack of variety. “Don’t Run,” “Heaven Sent” and "Valentine" each follow a similar two-piece structure; slow and somber verses backed by a simple synth beat, followed by a peppy chorus that fills in the extra space with more instruments. It’s a simple formula that allows subtle variety, but ultimately leaves the album ringing unambitious.
Mr Little Jeans is able to display her delightful and pleasant sound on Pocketknife, but comes off as a bit dull. There isn’t anything offered that breaks norms or creates a name for itself. While Pocketknife is a very safe and reliable first release, it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself within its genre.
Rating: B
