The Devil Said Jump’s latest single, “Better Man,” starts candidly: “You say you got a boyfriend. Congradu-fucking-lations.”
The rest of the song follows suit with honesty that doesn’t hold back, lyrics of which are backed by an undeniable Americana-influenced sound. An acoustic guitar motif accompanies the entirety of the song, with hints of perhaps the slide guitar, a country staple. The real instruments, though, are the voices of The Devil Said Jump themselves. Megan Loveless and Emily Franke, the duo that is The Devil Said Jump, blend their voices into an intoxicating, harmonious cocktail, emphasizing that twangy feel of their songs.
Overall, the sound of “Better Man” and the majority of their discography is similar to that of Lucius’ “Dusty Trails” or even boygenius’ “Without You Without Them” in the way that there is clear inspiration taken from older artists while maintaining a present-day aura. A foot-tapping, head-bopping drive pushes through “Better Man,” adding its modern flair to a rather traditional sound. Despite the appeal of the song, though, some uneven mixing drowns out the singers in a way that is less complementary and more overpowering.
Released on November 20, “Better Man” tells the heartbreaking story of a past lover finding someone else and reluctantly wishing them the best. Lyrics like “Bet he catches bugs and puts them outside,” follow through the five-minute track, where the narrator recounts different ways that this “better man” is, in fact, better than them. Though some of the reasons, such as the aforementioned lyrics, are trivial at best, it nevertheless accurately stresses how even the smallest idiosyncrasies can seem all the more monumental and persuasive when compared to our own.
The Devil Said Jump is undeniably a refreshing, queer take on the oftentimes exclusionary genres of country and folk. Loveless and Franke, however, bring back the true meaning of folk and bluegrass by lamenting woes about everyday life in a relatable way, those of which are then sung by actually-relatable individuals—not millionaires trying to cosplay as such.
The duo aptly released their most popular single, “Make Me Buy a Gun,” on July 4 of this year. An emotional and grounded ballad that mourns the current state of politics, “Make Me Buy a Gun” further embodies what it means to be an American by channeling the genre that is truly the epitome of what the United States sounds like.
If this trend is to continue for the pair, there is no doubt that The Devil Said Jump will have its own cult-like following before long. The devil may have said jump, but Loveless and Franke know how to give more.
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Image taken from Spotify
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