Photo By Annie Rose
Jessica Jones is as versatile as they come, and she has the recorded catalog to prove it. She’s shared the stage with greats and been backed by a wide variety of musicians. This iteration of her is more toned down. She’s supported by only midi tracks with an 8-bit quality, which puts her tremendous voice on full display. The whole performance feels very stripped down and intimate. It invites close listening in a way only Jessica Jones could.
“Tame/Your Eyes” is an impassioned note to an anonymous lover. The backing track sounds like one of those old preprogrammed bossa nova drum tracks on an old keyboard, and it’s perfect for the song. Jessica pleas over the simple track with an admission to complete surrender to “your eyes when you look at me that way.” The line is repeated with the conviction of an addict. It’s full of devotion. The song paints a close picture of eyes, lips, and the craving for each to come closer. The refreshing aspect of this track is everything maintains. There’s not a jumpy switch, too much trying, or anything other than the tame sensual intimacy that is consistency about to boil over the entire time.
“The Panty Dropper” takes a different approach. A song Jessica plays live with her full band, “The Panty Dropper” is exactly that. A heavy baseline opens up, and the same style of Nintendo beats introduces the new level, the panty dropping level. This again feels like a plea. “We can help each other we can see the light, but every time he comes around everyone woman in the joint...the panties drop down.” What a dilemma! “I’m not exempt, baby me too. My panties drop down to the ground for you.” I will sing this hook every time it comes on. Leave it to Jessica to turn a Nintendo soundtrack into an entire room of people admitting their panties drop down. See her like this, see her live, any iteration is going to leave you wanting to see more.