Album Review: Sweet Jean - Dear Departure

In the underground and beyond, folk and pop have become an almost inseparable pair. Hell, this has been the case long before the popularity of indie-folk Brits Mumford & Sons drastically peaked. The debut album from Melbournian duo Sweet Jean – Dear Departure – embraces this union of complementary genres with a sweet country-tinge that Iron & Wine would be proud of. While riddled with all the subtle complexities of some of the folkier folks of the style (think, Fleet Foxes), Dear Departure is lined with enough pop sensibilities to keep the album catchy and accessible.

Although not immediately so, the catchiness of the album is undeniably delightful. Dear Departure is definitely a grower; at first listen, the bubblegum melodies feel far too saturated and it just happens that the poppier leanings serve as the album's undoing (particularly in Alice Keath's often overly-spritely vocals which offset the balance of the male/female duets). Fortunately enough, there seems to be an organic progression to the album, and once you're able to overlook the somewhat cheesy helping of sugary folkified-pop, the carefully orchestrated instrumentation rears its admirable head and tracks like the trepid banjo-lead Maureen and Angels Come Get You are redeeming enough to excuse the overwhelmingly syrupy numbers like the album's opener Tomorrow Morning and its peppy follower Hello Concrete (complete with a whistled melody as the introduction).

Flamboyancy aside, Dear Departure is a lovely album. This pair have a little while to go before they settle on the right balance of frivolity and conviction, but if this album is anything to go by they're already halfway there.