Review by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Nessa Barrett continues to transform and change on this new eight song extended player (EP) Jesus Loves A Primadonna. She has referenced her past work and laced themes explored before in other work back through these songs. Her lyrical world continues developing the themes of vulnerability, responses to toxic relationships, and intense personal emotions in a darker, eerie, alternative pop sound. And this EP signals a change away from her musical narrative that shaped 2024’s album Aftercare. If like me, you attended that tour then you will have heard some of these songs in their original stripped back form and its great to hear them now fully formed.
Her aesthetic of the “romantic vamp” with the chilled-out bangers continues with the opening song ‘West Coast Prayer’. It leads the way on the EP with references to strummed laurel canyon guitars and whistles in the background give that faux country feel. The spectral dark trip-hop pop vocals with the electric guitar solo riff give the song a modern pop spin.
The following song ‘Moulin Rouge’ has a pulsing use of experimental brass with jazz drums and a violin crying in the background that sets the melancholic tone. The production in this song is strong and it really shows where she is heading with her new sound compared to her older material. ‘Black Haired Madonna’ is a “marijuana princess” is a dark pop ballad and there is a rising sonic tide in the emotion in her voice as the music and dark male voice remained subdued. It’s a fascinating song and delves in the dark.
‘Venom’ the ghostly electric guitar riff under the powerful vocals set high in the mix is a fascinating song. The bassline and the vocals here are outstanding. ‘Buffalo 66’ reflects on the emotional heartache of being naïve in a toxic relationship but it’s the R&B musical sounds and voices looping through the song that make it.
The grunge guitars on ‘High On Heaven’ that likens love to a hit of heroin is a big rock ‘n’ roll song in disguise. There is a Triple J version of this song performed and recorded when she was here on tour in January. Find it! It’s worth your time. Another big rock moment comes with glorious guitars is ‘Special To You’ where Barrett asks her lover to “fool her twice” as betrayal is the core of this dark ballad as she is “spit out”. This is the darkest song on this EP and is really good from a lyricism perspective.
The EP closes out with ‘Stay With Me’ that has a wintry, cinematic swirl of unnerving piano, with tense acoustic guitar strumming underpinned with grungy guitar and synths. Barrett bares her soul in this rock ballad as she reveals deep-seated fears and distrust in love: “Maybe I’m not meant to be held, I get close and they always leave / Will you be like everyone else? Or will you stay with me?”
Dare I say it: Nessa Barrett is finding her niche as a musician projecting messages of sexual confidence, self-expression, and making complex music for grown-ups and its refreshing. I cannot wait to see where she takes it.
