Singles Spotlight:
Joviale – “Moonshine”

Hello reader,

How are you today?

Today, we’re excited to tell you about another artist who is making some great music: Joviale. According to their debut album’s press release, they are, “a multidisciplinary artist from North London, Joviale came up as a theater kid and now harnesses their creative expression across mediums, fusing components of visual art, performance, and recording into a singular world.” And a further introduction stated, “Joviale‘s sonic references span Sade, Kate Bush, Janet Jackson, Todd Rundgren, ’60s girls groups, Japanese composers, and ‘the freaky guys and girls and the divas of the ’80s…glamorous rock’n’roll, Rick James, Prince, Quincy.’ Artists who prioritized playful ambition and bravado.” These few lines were my introduction to Joviale and I loved it. I was intrigued by the theatrical components and mindset and I had to hear and see some of their work.

Joviale’s music debut was 2021’s Hurricane Belle EP and on Friday September 12th comes their debut full-length album, Mount Crystal via the Ghostly International label.

Talking about the album’s inspirations and mindset within the album’s press release, “Mount Crystal is an ascendant, conceptual album. Initially imagined as a play, inspired by the comedic musical mastery of Prince’s 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon and the offbeat surrealism of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, Mount Crystal brims and bursts with life. The songs are electric and soulful, dashed with jazzy experimentation, rhythmic rock, and vibrant sound design, all realized with a cast of collaborators including Sam Wilkes, Carter Lang, and Will Miller.”

Joviale stated, “Mount Crystal’s lore is driven by the embodiment of desire, danger, and desperation. A mirrored dimension in a distant reality where nothing is left unsaid. These chapters crave to tear apart the illusion of pleasure by alchemising the unrelenting pain I’ve experienced in my efforts to love, deny, and embrace the sweetest melodies with the sweetest friends.”

After listening to the entire Mount Crystal album, one of the best songs in SWT’s opinion is “Moonshine.” That’s the single that we’re going to spotlight today. Overall, the song is a silky smooth groove from start to finish. The danceable melody mixed with the almost velvety instrumentation and production create an wonderful introduction to Joviale’s artistry and this craftsmanship will stick with you after a listen or two, if not during the first listen. The determined lyrics are delivered in a variety of tones showcasing her range, adding depth in all the right places. I love the ability to not only express so many emotions and feelings into the song to the creativeness and level of quality that they did. The beautifully choreographed music video is icing on the cake to a great song.

The awesome video for the song, “Moonshine” from Joviale’s YouTube channel:

(All credits and rights to Joviale)

The cover art for Mount Crystal:

The Mount Crystal Track list:

1. The Mountain (intro) [2:36]
2. Snow [2:34]
3. Heavy [3:37]
4. Crush [3:19]
5. HARK! [3:26]
6. Foul Party [3:08]
7. Let Me Down [3:39]
8. Moonshine [3:53]
9. Both Ways [2:50]
10. MC (Intermission) [2:12]
11. Beam [4:07]
12. Blu [3:09]
13. Disappear [3:18]
14. Wishing [3:05]

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com