Having recently featured on an Apple iPhone ad, duo JJ & The Mood are back with their latest single, Tired Of Being Tough.
Made up of LA-based cartoonist Jack Sjogren and Cincinnati-based songwriter and producer Joey Joseph, JJ & The Mood create disco-pop whilst drawing on the punk-funk influences of Talking Heads, ESG, and Liquid Liquid. The result has the taut thrill of LCD Soundsystem, with the populism of MGMT and Jungle. The pair bring this to bear with a knowing demeanour, adding a slight wink to the delivery without tipping into full-on pastiche, in a way that I find reminiscent of Hot Chip.
Tired Of Being Tough is a relatively rare commentary on the impact of societal expectations of masculinity. On it, the band reject emotional distance and James Dean whilst embracing cosmetics and dancing. From a musical perspective, layered vocals, tight funk-influenced bass and melodic synths combine with clipped drums. The whole song has a functional and focused rhythm section, creating space and contrast for the vocals and synths to embrace the very fun the song is inspiring men to have.
Check out Tired Of Being Tough below: