By Charlie Maybee
Swedish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Filip Johnson – also known as Jelly Crystal – released his first single of the year, “Happy Ending,” on March 18 as a preview of his upcoming EP, which is scheduled for release in June. Featuring vocals by Alice Boman, this is a song that drips with dreamy synthesizers and echoing guitars.
Somewhere between the ethereal pop vocals of James Blake and some of the more relaxed tracks by Arctic Monkeys and Arcade Fire lies the intersection where Jelly Crystal thrives in this track. It’s an off-kilter dreamscape of a love story that never existed, and as the collaborative vocals merge, they become hypnotic lulling the listener into a state of calm fantasy: “All I want is to be with you, babe / Dream about us day and night, yeah / Love, surrender.”
“It’s a love story with no happy ending…about a person that only exists in your head and a relationship coming to an end, even though you’ve never met her. It’s a live recording from the studio in Stockholm, that has many flaws and hasn’t been polished but still has a luxurious sound”, says Jelly Crystal. There’s always something to be said about how lack of polish can lead to a rawness that often feels more real, which gives this musical dreamscape some grounding.
“Happy Ending” is available on Spotify. Check out the accompanying music video below. Follow our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
