Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business – He Earns Enough EP

It’s been a while since the last post on here. Apologies for that. The computer went off for repair due to a keyboard with a life of its own. Anyway…

Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business have just followed up their gorgeous, ambitious 2018 debut album with their new ‘He Earns Enough’ EP. It’s their first with the phenomenal Lost Map. The once sprawling band appears to have fixed to a core group; principal songwriter Jenny Moore, Louise O’Connor, Rubie Green, Nandi Bhebhe, Jeni Be and Rachel Horwood. An absolute hotbed of talent.

They go for the jugular right off the bat with the rhetorical title track.

Aimed squarely at the men who saw the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to fill their coffers to the tune of billions, it’s a simple and powerful statement. All centred around the title phrase, it starts off as a mantra. The progression through heavy beats, vocal inflections, and soulful harmonies is glorious.

The second track “I Am Afraid” was of course released in its own right.

It’s another statement of strength in the fight for equality. The melody is fabulously catchy but the lyrics are what really stand alone. The most powerful phrase “I have been taught to cover up” revolves into “I have been taught to cover up the sins of many men”. It slates the expectations placed on women in a male dominated society and follows this up with a brutal takedown of the corruption that goes along with it.

Moore’s vocal on “Wild Mix” is stunning. Set to minimal key notes and sparse drums, it’s goosebump-inducing. Chanted soulful mantras are what JMMB mastered last time around, and they just get better at it.

“We Will Invent A Language” is a lot of fun, and a turn towards a sound closer to Moore’s other project Charismatic Megafauna. Mixing spoken word with almost gospel choir singing there’s a real joy to this. The subtle funky bass and upbeat drums make this JMMB’s most danceable anthem yet. The vocal breakdown that pings between speakers at the halfway point is utterly magical. There’s a small debt owed to ESG here.

This EP is so good it’s a shame it has to end at track 5.

There’s literally not a single miss here. “Woman Is A Word” is sensation. Largely created with just voice and bodies, the backing vocals that ping and fizz like synths to the simple clapped beat are an absolute joy. The four to the floor beat that kicks in sets this up perfectly for what would be a huge remix if someone were to do it.

‘He Earns Enough’ EP is not just a huge progression on an already wonderful formula, it’s also a massive contender for EP of the year. Just… wow. Everyone should hear this.