JC++ – “Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat” / “Semantic Satiation”

Music Reviews
Jer@SBS
September 28, 2023
0

JC++ – “Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat” / “Semantic Satiation” – Singles Review

So…maybe titles aren’t everyone’s thing…as long as the music sounds good, you’ll probably get by.

I kid, I kid…at least to a degree. To be truthful, I doubt I could care less what anyone calls anything. If the music works, it speaks for itself…titles and genres become irrelevant pieces of information that, at best, might win you a free beer on trivia night at the bar…but that ain’t gonna be what puts a song on someone’s playlist permanently, you feel me? On the bright side of this scenario, JC++ definitely has a great grip on Electro and a professional touch to his production…so sound-wise, the dude’s on solid ground without a doubt. I put on “Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat” for the first time the other day and felt like I could instantly stand behind this cut as engaging, interesting, catchy – it’s all that and more. JC++ describes it best though…make sure you read the write-up that comes along with “Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat” – I guarantee it’ll make you smile. He’s clearly got a sense of humor, but from the sound of his music, he’s also a serious professional too – all-in-all, that’s a great combination to have goin’ for ya when making a career for yourself in this industry. So yes…I like what I see, and I like what I hear. The “punching a stuffed animal” beat he’s working with works for me too…I suppose that’s what I’m saying. Ultimately, it only took mere seconds to be able to hear the high level of professionalism that JC++ brings to his studio boards, DJ decks, and programming equipment…by my estimation, he’s some kind of Electro savant that seems to just get where everything we wanna hear is supposed to go inside of a song. “Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat” might be in the running for the most insane title of track you’ll hear this year, but there’s no question about the guy’s talent for creating music that’ll move you, or the precision of his production. This is dynamic stuff that comes alive in your speakers from the lefts to the rights…and I appreciate that. And to be completely truthful, even though JC++ has tried to use just about every word in the dictionary to label this first of two singles I’ve got here in review…it’s quirky, offbeat, and different – and y’all know I appreciate that too. Honestly, it’s a title that stands out…and since he’s got the skills to back it up, in my opinion, he’s gone about this whole titular topic the right way. People will notice that name – and when they listen to “Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat,” they’ll like what they find.

So don’t get me wrong…a standout title is a good thing…the skills to rock on a professional level are also a good thing…visuals that are straight-up trippin’ and awesome to watch while you listen – another check mark in the win column without a doubt…the only question that really remains is whether or not JC++ is just making high quality music, or songs that’ll stand out from the rest of what’s out there already. Believe me, he’s great at what he does and I can tell that from a mere listen to two songs – but it’s another monumental mountain to climb in this industry when it comes to separating yourself from the rest, and I suspect JC++ has still got some work to do in that regard. Just because you or I could likely listen to a song like “Semantic Satiation” all day every day, still doesn’t mean that he’s accomplished the most elusive criteria in the art & craft…establishing identity. Don’t get it twisted, he’s on the right path, and I do feel like there’d be a great chance I could pick out a JC++ tune out of a lineup if I was blindfolded & it was on the right playlist…but…well…first of all, I’m not everyone, and secondly, we’d really have to be talking about a fairly forgiving playlist. Having said that, to be fair, of course I’m only judging that from listening to a couple of songs…those of you out there more familiar with his entire catalog could feel totally different, and if that’s the case, I’ll defer to your assessment. For me, right now, I’m hearing incredibly well assembled and produced tunes, but I’m not 100% sure I feel like JC++ is doing things all that differently from many that are out there…yet. Like I always tell ya on these pages of ours – to create a flawless tune is definitely no joke, and both of these singles are essentially that by every conceivable definition – flawless. He could make a career outta doin’ what he’s doin’ now and no one out there would blame him if that’s all he wanted to do…not even me. My job as I’ve always seen it is to challenge artists and bands out there to do the most they can with the talents they have, and I believe that JC++ still has a whole other level that is within his reach. If that makes me the villain for saying so, then so be it I say! I’m certainly more than happy to turn up a melodically-infused beat like “Semantic Satiation” and there ain’t nothing that’ll stop me from doing that, just like it would be the case for many of you out there listening too. It’s all about the kind of artist that JC++ wants to be and the legacy he’s looking to leave in the art of music. Does he want to be one of hundred, or one of one? These are the questions we always need to ask ourselves at some point…and let’s be real here, JC++ hasn’t exactly left me anything else to criticize when he’s pumping out such seamless material, so I gotta think of something for the man to consider, right? I personally love what I’m hearing at the very end of “Semantic Satiation” where he slows the pace of everything down like his song has melted in the sun – these are the kind of moments that stand out to me, and could very well be the blueprint for his pathway forward. I think this guy’s got a whole lot of talent, an insightful ear for sound, a steady hand on the mixing board, and a bright future ahead no matter what he chooses to do with his music based on everything I’ve heard. Both singles are essentially perfect in every possible way…at the end of the day, you can’t really ever ask for more than that, even though I suppose it seems like I kinda am. I’m not though, I assure you – I’m just THAT DUDE that’ll try to make everyone consider what the goals are, and hopefully inspire folks to reach for that next level with the things I say. As far as I’m concerned, JC++ could go on to do incredible things in the future of his career…and of course I sincerely hope he does.