That Woman - Find Joy

  by Zena Grieg

published: 19 / 12 / 2024

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Review

The solo debut by alt-pop duo ‘Oh Wonder’ singer-songwriter Josephine Vander West, produced by bandmate and husband Anthony Vander West, is a mix of breezy, bubbly pop, complemented by classical synths and reflective lyrics. The singer-songwriter described the evolution of ‘Find Joy’ as a search for the internal validation she felt was still missing even after the completion of five records and a world tour as part of the successful duo: “I explored idealised expectations of conforming to certain female stereotypes – of being a “good girl”, cheerful, smaller, more agreeable – or putting others’ needs before my own, such as being a mother or a wife…making it has definitely allowed me to remove the chains of expectation, stop wrestling myself (which is what the album cover references) and enjoy being entirely myself, as I come”. Songs to listen out for in this thirteen-track collection include: the introspective opener ‘Space Time & Peace'; the spoken-word ‘The Tyger’ with its sardonic lines: “Yeah, it’s all about the zeroes, mate/You got 3000 thread count Egyptian white cotton sheets/Ugh, that’s so cool/Who the fuck are you to touch me”; the self-affirming anthem ‘Change’ : “My life looks good on me”; the slower tempo, minimalist, plaintive ‘Lady Please’ “…we deserve/A celebration/Where shape and skin will not define our worth” and emphatic chorus: “Lady please/You are better than that; the soaring ‘Free To Be’; the powerful, emotive ‘Hymn To A Woman’; and the closer, the liberating ‘Enough’. Compelling, with insightful lyrics, ‘Find Joy’ is a refreshing solo debut.

Track Listing:-

1 Space Time & Peace
2 I Was Aching
3 The Tyger
4 Change
5 Black Dog
6 Lady Please
7 Free To Be
8 Joy
9 Love Dies In The End
10 Maximalist
11 Hymn For A Woman
12 Plasticine
13 Enough

Band Links:-

https://thatwomanmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thatwomanmusi
https://www.instagram.com/thatwoman
http:s://x.com/thatwomanmusic

Have a Listen:-