Anak Ko (CD)
Jay Som
Amoeba Review
08/04/2020
Bay Area-native Melina Duterte’s work as Jay Som is a sublime slice of modern dream-pop and on Anak Ko, she serves up a real treat. The album is big on atmosphere, soaked through with California sunshine while flirting with the moodier elements of influences such as Prefab Sprout, The Cure, and (naturally) Cocteau Twins. In fact, when Duterte states that instantly likable single “Superbike” was written to be a combo of “Cocteau Twins and Alanis Morissette,” it totally makes sense. Pop hooks creep into the otherworldly melodies, rough, rock ’n’ roll vibes weave in and out. A must hear for fans of smart, ethereal-adjacent indie pop.