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Photo: Sophie Gragg

To live is to learn to move on. Each step forward signals a stage of change, growth that speaks to unknown potential. In his latest double release, Junior Mesa grapples with the idea of growth via healing in the face of past trauma. 

“Bleacher Blues” and “Buta Fly” mark the first taste of new music from Junior Mesa since last year’s wildly innovative Cirque Du Freak EP. While the new singles retain the Los Angeles artist's signature experimental flair, they feel like trips spurred forth by internal monologue and discovery as opposed to a range of colorful, clashing sonics.

In “Bleacher Blues,” Junior Mesa delivers an emotionally expansive effort carried by minimalistic yet precise instrumentation and production. Sonic elements enter the fray one at a time, making their presence known, stacking on top of another and falling away to create a backdrop that is constantly reinventing itself. And as the artist’s vocal delivery, reminiscent of Dijon’s emotionally explorative timbre, firmly centers itself, there is an unmistakable sense of optimism to be found in its vulnerable plea. As Junior Mesa explains, “‘Bleacher Blues’ “is about sexual trauma and healing. It’s about learning to move on and enjoy something that was once ruined. 'Buta Fly' to me is like the realization of how beautiful life can be after only looking at everything negative for so long. It’s an awakening!”

If “Bleacher Blues” is the first sign of sun after the rain clouds clear, “Buta Fly” is the ensuing bloom. The entirely instrumental track radiates with a sense of understated ecstasy, a brisk walk through verdant fields where one never forgets to take a moment to stop and enjoy the unfurling scenery around them. 

Listen to “Bleacher Blues” and “Buta Fly” below: