In a sea of copycat comebacks, Just B have forged their own sonic path. Their recent music has borrowed heavily from hyperpop, delivering brief bursts of dense electronic soundscapes. While this hasn’t always worked as well as it could, I admire them for picking a genre and sticking with it. New title track True Heart stands as another step in this direction, merging angular electronic percussion with funky melodies.
There’s a producer/artist called Frankmusik whose work I’ve loved since his emergence in the mid-2000s and — even more than hyperpop — True Heart reminds me of his sound. It’s an effective blend of the artificial and emotional. While the production is quite prickly and cold, the vocal melodies have enough character to push through the heavy effects slathered over them. It’s mechanical but urgent and this blend is compelling on its own.
With that said, it still feels like Just B are searching for the right song to frame these experimental soundscapes around. True Heart has its moments, but most of them are due to its production. Melodically, the track is pretty slight and isn’t given the space needed to develop into something more memorable. In some ways, it feels more like a stylish interlude than a fully fleshed out single.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
7.75