Carly Rae Jepsen - Day and Night
BY JAMES NORCROSS
In the years since “Call Me Maybe” dominated airwaves and the intro saxophones to “Run Away with Me” first blared, Carly Rae Jepsen has gained a cult following. If you know a pop culture enthusiast or a forty-year-old straight dude who uses RateYourMusic, you already know this. On her eighth studio album, it's clearer than ever why Jepsen’s dedicated following has stuck around for so long.
In an era dominated by surprise deluxes and variants, double albums can be cause for apprehension, often leaving too much room for tracks that become derivative. However, with a few exceptions, Day and Night makes a good case for its nearly 90-minute runtime.
Divided into two, 12-track discs, the album’s “Day” side, at times, leans into a neo-psychedelia sound, reaching its fullest potential on tracks such as the album’s lead single, “On Wires.” The orchestral elements of this side are unexpectedly reminiscent of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. With tightly produced live drums and live basslines, this side of the album feels like a natural progression from “Kollage,” a hidden gem from Jepsen’s previous record, The Loveliest Time.
“Never Let a Good Thing Die” begins the “Night” side of the album, as Jepsen returns to her signature, nu-disco sound. Songs like “Amalfi Coast” and “Patience Power Passion” sound like they came straight off Kylie Minogue’s Fever, with vocal melodies that fit perfectly into its tight production. “Near or Far” is a highlight of the record, a deep house track with a beat drop straight out of Rochelle Jordan’s most recent output.
The Canadian queen of heartbreak has built a following around infectious synth-pop hits about “the chase,” often finding herself lost in romances that leave her to steal motor vehicles at the very worst. However, Jepsen explores new thematic territory on Day and Night, writing about her recent marriage to musical collaborator Cole M.G.N. “You show me patience, power, passion” she sings on the “Night” side’s third track.
“Diver” is the most quintessentially Jepsen track on the album, sounding like a spiritual successor to E•MO•TION’s “Warm Blood” both sonically and thematically. “I’m falling back to love,” Jepsen sings, as her voice is drowned out by the instrumental. If the 24-song track list wasn’t enough, it’s clear on this track that Jepsen really, really likes this guy. “I’m just purple, cruising for your blue,” Jepsen sings.
Amidst the security of this relationship, fear remains present on this album, as it has been throughout her discography. On “Hold Me to the Light,” a standout that hooks you with its 2-step drum beat, she sings, “it took me seasons to trust you.”
As the record further unravels, so do Jepsen’s feelings about this relationship that breaks every rule she has made for herself. On the record’s closer, “Super Sage,” it's clear she’s scared of the vulnerability of this new experience. As riveting synths rise behind her vocals, Jepsen worries that she resembles her mother, questioning if her restlessness will be a problem for her lover.
Almost two decades into her career, it's clear that Jepsen is not chasing the commercial highs of “Call Me Maybe,” and never has been. She’s found something more special. If E•MO•TION was Jepsen’s playbook for young love and lust, Day and Night is a newlywed’s diary on full display, anxieties and all.