"'Friend' draws from Krasner’s distinct approach of blending the structural language of electronic music with the allure of her signature vocals to create something entirely her own. Yet this album feels more polished, more intimate - and perhaps more vulnerable - than anything in her back catalogue."
Every so often, an album comes along that perfectly encapsulates those feelings of nostalgia we can’t help but gravitate towards. It’s a little ironic that, on this occasion, those sentiments of wistful warmth can be found emanating from a project so forward thinking in both its production and execution. Standing at the intersection where dream pop, experimental club and shoe-gaze meet, James K’s (aka Jamie Krasner) third full-length album ‘Friend’ on AD 93 is an elegant explosion of ethereal angst channeling a dreamscape-like resonance that hits you deep in your soul.
In keeping with her previous output, ‘Friend‘ draws from Krasner’s distinct approach of blending the structural language of electronic music with the allure of her signature vocals to create something entirely her own. Yet this album feels more polished, more intimate – and perhaps more vulnerable – than anything in her back catalogue.
It steers away from the industrial undertones of 2022’s Random Girl and leans further into the angelic, misty-eyed softness that has always lingered beneath her work. Taking inspiration from styles such as ambient, IDM, experimental, dub and even breakbeat and jungle at points, Friend builds off Krasner’s roots in dance music and ultimately layers air-tight productions under an elegant, dream pop approach.
Its release on September 5th, as the everglow of summer bleeds into autumnal tones, felt like a poignant moment for this project to drop. It evokes bittersweet memories of lost love and unfulfilled plans, yet also carries a tender promise of horizons still to come – much like the ones we’ve all lived through before.
Jamie Krasner cut her teeth as an artist within New York’s experimental and underground Club scenes regularly working with other up and comers in the big apple. However, her solo work as James K is where Krasner really started to come into her own. With the release of her debut album ‘’PET’’ in 2016, followed by a string of notable collaborations with forward thinking artists such as, Yves Tumor, Parris and most recently Fergus Jones (aka Perko), James K’s dreamy ambience and trip hop undertones really started to prick up ears.
Her sound throughout this period tended to have a slightly darker edge to it. And whilst her earlier work was fruitful in its deliverance of blissful chaos, Friend sees Krasner fully embrace the enchantment that comes with her sound and lean fully into the mesmerising, almost otherworldly phonaesthetics that has long defined her work.
One of the most impressive aspects of the album is how it draws from a range of styles yet it manages to carve out its own distinctive sound. The production remains consistently fresh, polished with a subtle sophistication, which makes sense, considering the range of talent involved behind the scenes. While her first two full-length projects were entirely self-produced, this time around Krasner sought out collaborations with a group of equally forward-thinking producers, some of whom hail from, or are currently based in Canada.
The likes of Patrick Holland (fka Project Pablo), former collaborator Priori and ex-terrestrial were all involved in the Montreal leg of production whilst Krasner was also joined by fellow New York based compatriot Ben Bondy and Berlin-based producer Special Guest DJ.
Despite the stellar production, the thing that shines through on Friend is its organic heart – most notably, Krasner’s angelic vocals, that draw you in like a siren song with their almost hypnotic bliss. Even amongst the album’s sophisticated production and glossy feel, Krasner’s voice has a real magnetism to it – velvety and soft yet quietly commanding in its delivery.
Channeling the greats of shoegaze, Krasner’s vocal mastery is akin to the likes of Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins fame, while still feeling entirely her own. Tracks like “Days Go By”,”On God” and the albums closer “Collapse” showcase Krasner’s ability to drive a track with her breathtaking vocals alone.
Meanwhile, the contrast between the slow-burning ballad “N’Balmed”, the ambient layering of “Rider”, the chuggy, dubby undertones of “Lung Slide” and the emotional climax of “Play” – one of the album’s standout moments – demonstrates the full extent of Krasner’s range and how powerfully she operates across the emotional spectrum.
The story behind many of her lyrics is one of vulnerability as she explores themes of love, attachment and loss in all forms of relationship and the certainty and uncertainty that come with them. Whether it’s the dying embers of a once-great romance, to the highs and lows of friendship and even the difficulties we have when it comes to loving ourselves at times, the album explores the isolation in desiring connection whilst also not being prepared for it.
It’s a deep dive into identity, capturing the way we often find ourselves suspended between the present day and the nostalgia of the past. It’s this idea of existing across two emotional planes that runs through the record on a purely atmospheric level. It often feels like it’s operating on a knife edge, hovering between agony and elation.
The juxtaposition between such introspective themes and such “feel-good”, at times upbeat production is a beautiful contradiction. It is as if Krasner is inviting us to both grieve and heal in tandem, removing all stigma and reassuring us that it is okay to feel both weightless and wounded at once.
Friend is certainly one of those albums you can listen to back to front and enjoy consistently throughout. Because the album takes inspiration from a number of different electronic genres, it almost has that ‘page turner’ feel of a great novel – constantly introducing fresh textures and emotional turns.
That said, there are still a few tracks that truly possess that wow factor. “Blinkmoth (July Mix)”, followed by the dazzling “Doom Bikini” is when the album really starts to hit its stride. The stylised effects and marching percussion of “Blinkmoth” feels like a gear change from the ambience of the opening track as the energy picks up. Then comes “Doom Bikini” and with it, the introduction to one of the signature elements of the album – Krasner’s reverb soaked guitar.
Lyrically, it captures a moment of internal conflict – the tendency to spiral “way down in her doom,” as she puts it, while still searching for moments of defiance and emotional clarity. It’s a track about falling down but continuing to get back up. And what truly brings that uplifting spirit to the track is its beautifully catchy G-funk-like synth, the sprinkling of pixie dust that makes Krasner’s sound unmistakably her own.
If there is room for critique at all, listeners could focus on the albums middle section, which offers a slightly more abstract, downtempo feel when compared to the emotional and euphoric highs of the opening and closing sections. Nonetheless, this shift in tone feels intentional, almost like Krasner is taking a breath before the big finish – and it’s a testament to how strong the album is if this may be its most notable critique.
The album reaches another high point with the track “On God”, a true dream pop anthem with a catchy chorus and elegant guitar riffs to match, before culminating in “Play”, the emotional core of the record. Krasner’s words tell a tale of frustrated love over percussive breakbeats as she confronts her partner’s emotional unavailability with vigour and transforms her personal pain into assurance in her own self-discovery.
“Won’t try to fight for the last time. Won’t fight ’cause they just lie. Right now, I feel that I am found. Right where, I know that I feel the ground”. It personifies that moment you realise the loss of heartbreak has become a catalyst for self-love. And then comes “Hypersoft Lovejinx Junkdream”, whilst not being the album’s official closer, it certainly feels like Friend’s victory lap as it signals the beginning of the end.
The track continues to utilise breakbeats as its base, though this time around there is not that sense of optimism that accompanied “Play”. The penultimate track on the album is built upon a more melancholic, Jungle pattern as its backdrop whilst Krasner lays bare her feelings of heartache over a failed romance and the unrealised dreams that come with it.
The ingenious sample of Bôa’s “Duvet” perfectly encapsulates the anguish of a broken heart whilst also evoking a sense of comfortable familiarity in its words. “And you don’t seem to understand. A shame, you seemed an honest man. And all the fears you hold so dear, will turn to whisper in your ear.” And it’s in those feelings of nostalgia that K finds solace, whilst inviting the listener to do the same.
‘Friend’ is out now via AD 93. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. Days Go By
2. Blinkmoth (July Mix)
3. Doom Bikini
4. Idea.2
5. N’Balmed
6. Rider
7. On God
8. Peel
9. Lude (unwind)
10. Play
11. Lung Slide