'Over You' is Jen Dixon's eighth single release, and I think it's her best yet.
The song is the first single from an upcoming debut EP, to be titled 'Less Than A Feeling'. Jen has been patient with her release schedule; rather than rushing quickly to an EP, or even an album, she's published a sequence of consistently strong singles, giving the songs - and her particular musical and lyrical approach - time to get established and to build a loyal and eager audience.
I've shared my thoughts on her music previously, including 'Pretty Face', back in October 2021, and have always been impressed with what Jen releases. What always attracts me about her music is the characteristically crisp, fresh sound her voice has - it's pleasant, soothing and yet somehow strident - and the way she makes use of that natural sound, combining it with her choices of instrumentation and arrangements. This shows good self-awareness and skill.
'Over You' continues that tradition but veers in a subtly different direction. There's something timeless about this song; it has that almost indefinable, sparkling quality of familiarity; it's soothing and intimate.
The song makes its mark immediately, with a chord of vocal harmonies, and then Jen's lead vocals coming in a fraction of second later. Accompanied by a subtle acoustic guitar strum, relatively deep in the mix, those vocals become ever so slightly firmer and louder every few bars in a long, patient build to the chorus.
"And then I felt the sun beat down, I can feel my skin getting warmer,
suddenly I lift my head, to feel myself rise out the water - over you."
Then we have a short bridge, with a prominent bass line and muted electric guitar and a short reprise of the chorus, before a brief rap (another special feature in some of Jen's songs).
The sound is bright and positive, which matches with message of the song as a whole. Jen says the song is "about a journey and new beginnings, coming out of difficult times to discover that life can suddenly change for the better." You can hear that theme translated, loud and clear, in the music itself. It's clear and triumphant; wholesome and joyous. Jen always seems to bring elements of her other loves in life into her music too - surfing, the sea, the open air - which translates into a lovely sense of freshness.
What's also very effective in this song is the way Jen uses a repeated motif - a triplet, with guitar, cymbals and sometimes vocals working together. That technique, a triplet fill, in the midst of a 4/4 song, gives the effect of a skip or a trip in what would otherwise be a steady walk. It's a really nice rhythmical device, and elevates the song further.
Check out the song below, and look out for Jen on the live circuit, in the northeast of England and beyond.
