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JAMMAZ SINGLE "PINK ELEPHANTS" | iodine rae
⇦back Summer is right around the corner, and with a forecast that seems to be endless clear skies and balmy temperatures, it only makes sense that we should dust off the old summer playlist and add something new to our rotation. Lucky for me, Minneapolis’ own emo shoegazer Jammaz has graced us with a new single, Pink Elephants, just in time to roll the windows down and crank the music wayyy up. This one is just perfect for the late night feels. It twinkles and shines—the guitar’s tone shimmers in the way that the shoegaze-inspired ought to, then shifts into a sort of warbling, distorted thrum—and the band reaches for something heavier in its fortifying drumlines and responsive bass, which dances alongside the vocals. Oh, let’s talk about these vocals. For me, Jammaz lands somewhere between Hayley Williams (Paramore) and Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries), powerful and raw, but with such clarity it really blows me away. While there are hints of influence in her performance, she, without a doubt, makes it something of her own. 
The bridge is where O’Riordan comes to mind most, as it settles down to the bottom and allows her upper range to especially shine. The result is a satisfying build up that takes you back into forward motion, gradually rising until the energy peaks at the chorus and grips you tight. It rides full-send into the pop rock Paramore-reminiscent grit and fervor. She uses the title to allude to drunken hallucinations, the pink elephants possibly the result of a little too much to drink. The lyrics follow this train of thought, describing how the room spins and the liquid courage emboldens the narrator. Grief is baked into the story as we struggle to move on, forced to reconcile with a past that seems to follow us no matter how hard we try to push it away, or bury it within. Ugh, I just love this track. It hits every target for me, emotionally and lyrically and musically. I want to stargaze to this, and I want to run until my lungs ache. There’s something about Pink Elephants that simultaneously inspires me to gaze into the vast nothingness of the universe, and fly towards the horizon in my Ford shitbox with the wind in my face and the city far behind me. It’s delightfully 2000’s, with a signature shoegazey twist, and it’s the perfect addition to your daily rotation, especially for those particularly sentimental nights. Give this one a go and check out her other releases, while you’re at it. I, for one, can’t wait to see what Jammaz does next. You’ve made a fan out of me! (Published 6-4-26) |
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