Hailing from London, Modern Woman is an art rock project that transcends all barriers. Frontwoman Sophie Harris, who is also the primary songwriter of this outfit, is like a raging force of her own. With the release of their debut album, ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld,’ Harris takes the lead with her commanding presence. I was oftentimes wowed by Harris’s vocals.
She, at times, reminded me of Bjork and even of Feist. The album goes in the direction of noise rock and can be pretty experimental at times. Modern Woman’s crew also mainly comprises of violinist and composer David Denyer, Juan Brint-Gutiérrez on bass and saxophone, and Adam Blackhurst on drums. Together, they make an unbelievable team. Here’s a breakdown of their debut:
Pounding drums and loud, searing guitar riffs is introduced to the title-track, “Johnny’s Dreamworld.” The sounds slowly bleed into the background as some bass enters for a truly rhythmic vibe. Gradually, Harris’s spoken word vocals cut in for a highly artsy, experimental blend. Her voice goes from delicate to raging all in a matter of moments, and it makes for many a cutting-edge moment.
While “Neptune Girl” was on the shorter end of the spectrum at 2:56, at the same time, I couldn’t help but wish it lasted longer. This track embraces quite a quirky and whimsical vibe, which really recalled in my mind Bjork and her singing style. The melodies and, at times, noisy cadence really coalesced together for something truly memorable.
Toward “Offerings,” percussion and bass offer a sparse composition overall. The sound oscillates between noise and sparse for something truly startling. The band really cranks up their penchant for experimentation here as lush strings complement the sounds for a truly powerful listening experience.
Modern Woman has a rare gift for taking the avant-garde route to their music-making process. Upon the first few listens of their debut album, I came across quite a few surprises. When hitting play on this record, you never know what you’ll be getting. With that being said, there were quite a few noteworthy tracks, such as the tragic-sounding “Kill A Dog,” the stripped-back “Daniel,” and the mainly organ-backed “Dashboard Mary.”
The closer, “The Garden,” is a short 2:50 minute number that felt very melancholy to my ears. I was reminded of Adele and Florence Welch here. The somber vibes directly hinted at good-byes and farewells that usually come with endings. This seemed to be an apt way to close what was a great release.
Above all, the band really demonstrates their creativity and craft with this collection of songs. The production and mixing are also handled with care, and everyone’s efforts really showed in the final product. Harris’s vocals, which has so much character to it, is aptly displayed with all their facets. Every moment on this album was filled with surprises, and I was never bored, not even once. The album definitely held me enraptured from beginning to end.
SCORE/Excellent: By taking directly from a Forest Gump quote, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get,” and replacing the word ‘life’ with Modern Woman’s gorgeous and mesmerizing debut ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld,’ you’ll get exactly what I mean when I say that at every corner of this release, there is a surprise. While listening to this record, every second of this album kept me rapt with attention, and I didn’t feel my focus waver, not even for a moment. Truly a work of art from start to finish, Modern Woman shows that, by making music on their own terms, they have created something worthy of note for the long-term.
[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]
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