Nashville-based indie-rock singer-songwriter and producer Danielle Moreland-Ochoa, aka your friend juniper, unveils her sophomore album, sonder, a guide for people interested in other people here on earth.
your friend juniper explains, “’sonder’ is a collection of songs built around one of my favorite pastimes: sondering, the quiet wonder of realizing that every stranger is living a life as rich and tangled as your own. Pretty much glorified people watching. People have always fascinated me. I feel this deep ache for those who don’t get the same love or chances as others, and writing these songs was my way of carrying that ache with tenderness and turning it into something hopeful.”
She goes on, “This EP is about slowing down, noticing all the complex lives around you, and remembering that you can change things in an amazing way for others and have a ton to give. It’s for the long waits at the airport where you catch yourself imagining strangers’ stories, the moments of laughing with friends that suddenly open into big, existential questions. A reminder that we’re all stitched together by the same longing to be seen and loved.”
Originally from outside Austin, Texas, at a young age, Moreland-Ochoa began voice lessons and performing in musical theater, followed by her family relocating to Oregon, where she continued her musical endeavors. Later, she attended Berklee College of Music, followed by moving to Los Angeles, where she and singer-songwriter Hugh Macdonald founded The Fuzz, a music collective.
Self-taught on guitar and piano, your friend juniper’s sound blends elements of indie-rock, folk, and pop into beautifully atmospheric songs.
Comprising eight tracks, highlights on sonder include “amiam,” featuring a wonderfully swaying melody topped by your friend juniper’s exquisitely alluring voice, at once delicate, evocative, and velvety. This track is a splendid earworm.
“Am I too familiar / Am I talking loud / Am I what I think / I don’t have the heart to tell you.”
With its charming, Fred Astaire-dancing flow, “alightwillshine” allows your friend juniper to parade the subtle, sensitive timbres of her voice. Whereas “talk” flickers with soft textures as your friend juniper’s vocals take on silky-smooth surfaces. The lyrics expose the value of letting others know what you’re feeling rather than suppressing them.
There’s a delicious edginess to “littlebodies,” on which your friend juniper’s vocals conjure up suggestions of Joni Mitchell – all polish and chrome and sparkling with vivacity.
A bit darker and sultrier, “covermybody” emanates hints of luscious sensuality with its syncopated Latin-lite rhythm. Tender and quixotic, the vocals push straight into listeners’ hearts.
For some reason, “makesmehappy” recalls Paul Simon, innovative and imaginative. It’s a low-slung feel-good song riding a unique rhythmic pulse. And your friend juniper’s vocals are delectably supple.
The dreamy “mybed” closes the album, summoning up an array of mellow emotions. Talking about the song, your friend juniper says, “The message in ‘mybed’ is simple, even ancient: don’t take what you have for granted, and don’t turn a blind eye to the realities others are facing.”
Seamlessly weaving together minimalism and elegance, on sonder, your friend juniper offers a meaningful take on life.
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