Jean Deaux is one of the artists rolling out chose as one of the top 5 Chicago artists to check for in 2018. The release of her newest project, Krash, shows that it was not a mistake.
The nine-track release begins with Deaux having a precarious experience with some type of machinery that has receptors. The project immediately morphs into a layered bed of smoothness with the song “Way Out.” This specific song represents all of her strengths. She sings, harmonizes, and raps … and does it all effortlessly.
Deaux seems to be joining this new R&B renaissance with the likes of H.E.R, SZA and Daniel Caesar. The stand out track “Deserve (More)” is a bop that brings to mind a quiet storm as Deaux laments over what her love deserves. Her phrasing feels like she’s been doing this forever. Her lyrics are like honey for the ears: “Ill answer calls no matter how late… but do you need something..to make sure I’m straight.. you wonder if I thought of you today.. I sure did.. and when there is something… I wanna say.. my words get all jumbled… I make my mistakes.. you sit and laugh and tell me that it’s okay… well it sure is.” This one stays on repeat when I stream it.
The up tempo track “Energy/Who U?” featuring Ravyn Lenae will get you on your feet and might even get a body roll or two started. The first half of the song is true to the Chicago House sound; the second half displays a filtered bass line and Deaux flipping through some serious verses and shows how versatile she is on this project.
Even though the heart of the album lives in R&B, the song “Code” helps the album take a bit of a left turn with driving guitar riffs and harsh raspy vocals that pull you into the melodic madness.
Krash is definitely worth a listen and finds Jean Deaux in a good space as she carves out her own place in this music industry.
Take a listen to the project below.
https://tidal.com/album/96362451
