A timely email introduced Jen Moon. I wasn’t aware of her music before and the email introduced her 2021 single “136.” I went back to her 2020 album, Moonology, to get an impression of her music. Jen Moon’s core is the R&B genre, but she’s not only living in that soundscape.
The album starts with “Intro.” The 39 second preview quickly jumps into “Notice.” The instrumentals immediately set the R&B tone. Jen Moon’s vocals are warm and hold your attention. The slow tempo allows her to hug each beat and carefully choose the vocal note. I like how she will move across the octave rather than use a repetitive melody. “Notice” doesn’t seem to have a standard chorus and the main change happens in the bridge. The structure sounds like verse to verse until the bridge when the track starts a different rhythm.
Moonology’s songs all sound like chapters rather than individual tracks. “Maybe” enables Jen Moon to use a lower octave than “Notice” and also adds even more tonal depth. The instrumentals support and keep the attention on the vocals, never overpowering them. Like “Notice,” “Maybe” also uses a more verse forward arrangement.
“Superego” was a previously released single and has the most Spotify streams. It also features a different vocal delivery with Jen Moon stepping towards higher notes. “Superego” is a direct message to the listener. The guitar and bass instrumentals keep the song minimal and Jen Moon’s vocals bring an underlying emotional weight forward. It sounds like a mid-album transition, but is also one of the strongest tracks.
Even though “Superego” has the most streams, “You” is my favorite song on Moonology. The piano accompaniment mixed with her voice is sublime. “You” also has some of the most vocal movements compared to other tracks. Jen Moon is presenting a wider range and the simplicity was a great choice. “Prayer” is a R&B mixed with electronic pop and a nice tangent for the end of the album. Then to close, “Dream” is a song that reminds me of a dark alley jazz club inside a cyberpunk universe. I don’t know how that imagery comes forth, but that’s what I see.
Jen Moon’s Moonology is an amazing set of tracks. She’s properly set her artist foundation and shows the ability to expand and explore new elements. I definitely need to listen to newer songs and see the progression. Moonology is a timeless album that can attract listeners from other genres.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.