Montaigne ‘Complex’ – Album Review

August 29, 2019

Complex is an accurate name for Montaigne’s second album, as the record grapples with themes of loneliness, isolation, distorted love narratives, confused sense of self, the desire to escape, self-image issues and self-realisation.

All these concepts interact and percolate amongst themselves on Complex, and Montaigne does a spectacular job of expressing herself with eloquence, passion and powerful vocal authority.

Montaigne ‘Complex’ – Album Review

REVIEWER – Ben Nicol

Ever since Montaigne’s 2014 track, I’m a Fantastic Wreck, it was clear that the young singer had something new to bring to pop music. The instrumentation was different, she had a unique voice, and could tell a compelling story. Five years later and Montaigne, real name Jess Cero, has a brought her storytelling abilities to new heights with the incredibly vulnerable Complex.

Lyrically, there is a lot to unpack, which is sure to be a big talking point of this album for a lot of people. There’s a huge variety of content too, from the constrictions of unhealthy relationships allured to in the aptly titled Stockholm Syndrome to the empowering and anthemic Ready.

The album takes a deep dive into Montaigne’s past and she’s not holding back on the details. It brings with it a whole new level of intrigue for listeners and can sometimes feel like a window into the life of a stranger. Regardless of where the artist Montaigne begins and the person Jess Cero ends in these stories, it takes a special kind of musician to convey them in a way that leaves you wanting more.

The 24-year-old’s pitch-perfect vocals are the reliable constant amongst the smorgasbord of instrumentation that comes and goes. There are strings to be heard in I am a Clown and Please You, but both are used to completely different effects. For Your Love does a great job of putting Montaigne’s vocals in the forefront, with very little surrounding them. However, those few instruments that are present, especially the groovy bass line and swirling synthesizers, are magically immersive.

It’s an energetic, multifarious sounding album that delivers big time. The raw emotional honesty, paired with a talented, dynamic voice helps add a whole new layer to her music that a lot of pop tracks today simply lack. It’s still early days for the young artist Montaigne and with the huge advancements she’s already making as a musician, we can safely assume she’s only on the up from here.