Just in time for their show at Sinclair on June 20, Detroit-based Jamaican Queens dropped their most recent album this week, Downers. As the title probably implies, there’s a moody edge you might not expect from the surface of these otherwise upbeat songs. Take the track “Emo + Poor,” which opens with the lines “you have to hurt a little while / it feels alright / you have to hurt the ones you love / to pass the time.” The album pulls elements from just about every genre you can think of all bundled into a new trap-pop form, with songs like “Joe” containing vocals reminiscent of Black Keys and other songs containing moments you might expect from The Dirty Projectors or Ava Luna.
If you don’t recognize Jamaica Queens, you may recognize their predecessors. The project was formed by Adam Pressley and Ryan Spencer, who both previously performed in Prussia.
If you like what you hear, don’t forget to grab your tickets to their show at Sinclair alongside TEEN and Lower Dens.