Jean Dawson Mixes the Introspective with the Electric, Embracing Disorder on CHAOS NOW*
Dawson’s sophomore album delves even deeper into experimentation as he takes inspiration from pandemonium.
By Harry Sutton
Somewhere in between a boy from San Diego and a boy from Tijuana is Jean Dawson. Dawson crossed the border from Mexico into California every day as a child just to get to school. He described his cities as “two extremes of poverty,” but went to school in an affluent area; Dawson himself became the middle ground between areas of diametrically opposed environments. Simultaneously influenced by the cultures of both cities, Dawson was always immersed in chaos, change and adaptation. This life of constant fluctuation cultivated a person who thrives in panic and bedlam– someone capable of channeling his mercurial experience into powerful genre-bending music. The self-dubbed “black Björk” has sparked interest in audiences for his ability to fuse unconventional sounds and make something beautiful.
Dawson has been an enigmatic figure in the music world since he broke through the underground in the lead up to his debut album, Pixel Bath, in 2020. Lauded for his effortless mix of indie rock, trap, electronic and more, Dawson displays a dazzling versatility that positions him perfectly for today's dynamic musical zeitgeist. Before his most recent drop, Dawson’s versatility was well-reflected in the only two collaborations he had released in his career: a glitchy, ethereal pop/rap song with A$AP Rocky, and a thrashy emo-rock banger featuring Mac DeMarco on guitar.
Two and a half years after Pixel Bath, Dawson showed his versatility on an entirely new level with his sophomore album, CHAOS NOW*. Dawson describes the project as a welcoming to whatever unknown tomorrow may bring, accepting the beautifully erratic mayhem of life.
Despite features from Isaiah Rashad and Earl Sweatshirt, this album is surprisingly distant from rap. An unexpectedly refreshing aspect of CHAOS NOW* is the introduction of neo-folk sounds to Dawson’s catalog, with multiple tracks that sound like they could have been produced by Bon Iver. One of the most scintillating moments comes on “BAD FRUIT*”, complete with orchestral violins, a Vance Joy-esque folk choir and a pensive verse from a crooning Earl Sweatshirt.
Dawson analogized the project’s lyrical content to staring at himself in the mirror for 20 minutes with full eye contact: an introspective inner conversation attempting to be as honest with himself as possible. CHAOS NOW* is an explosive display of self-reflection, with Dawson vividly baring the tumult of his life on the project.
Dawson explained his writing process as very free-flowing, almost to the point of rambling. He makes every track feel like a fever dream with outlandish imagery and ever-stimulating instrumental and focal evolution. To add some flair to the formulaically typical, Dawson punctuates the album and its track’s titles with an asterisk *, which he called “fireworks”.
The album can feel almost daunting at times, imbued with Jean’s fear, rage and despair, but it is assuaged with moments of introspective peace. Dawson intends to get your heart pounding and your mind racing through the project’s overwhelming complexity, and this invasive unrest renders the occasional moments of solace crucial. At the album’s halfway point and outro, Jean adds two serene indie folk inspired ballads. In Dawson’s inner conversation, it sounds like he is finding peace on “BAD FRUIT*” and “PIRATE RADIO*”.
CHAOS NOW* serves not only as a platform for Jean’s kaleidoscopic self-expression, but also as a paragon of his musical prowess. Dawson continues to impress critics and fans alike across his early projects, showing serious dedication to his craft. Dawson continues to garner the attention of many with the refreshing amalgam of his sonic influences, and with recent cosigns from major artists like Travis Barker and SZA, it seems that he is destined for more success.