Rewind just over a year ago, I’d never even heard of Jonathan Bree. Despite this, he’s had way over a billion streams on music platforms, and, even a few viral tracks. After discovering him as part of the “Cigarette Duet” with Princess Chelsea, he’s easily one of the most unique Artists of this generation. I look forward to going over some of his previous records, as they really do go down quite the fun rollercoaster.
Which brings us here, to Don’t Call It Love. Yes that’s a woman’s ass in the album art. Jonathan decided, in his own world of wisdom, to create a sexy saucy album. Despite the fact he’s a near 50 year old man. But hey, somehow, it works… I think.
You can’t really deny it doesn’t get your attention, I suppose. You may of noticed on the thumbnail for this review, I had a slightly more censored version of it. As much as I enjoy listening to this album, you can’t help but feel slightly self-conscious when you have that on your Apple Watch. But, hey, let’s get down to the music shall we.
Quite a bit of it there is, too, with a whole 17 tracks to be precise, and a few features along the way. When it hits, it hits really good, but, yes, when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. We’ll get to both of them, in time. So, here we go.
Disappear
Watch you disappear, watch you disappear … (repeating until the end of time)
The album kicks off in such a signature Jonathan Bree way, that smooth drum and bass combo, then, hits in some string section which more reminds me of The WAEVE (with Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall), if you’ve checked out any of their stuff you’ll understand completely what I mean. It’s a nice sound, though. The only problem is, same with a track called Game which we’ll get to, it does go on a bit repeating the same thing.
Once Jonathan kicks in with his strained vocals, it just maintains that same repeated flow throughout. I think it’s because it doesn’t go anywhere, despite sounding rather decent, that’s why I gave it such a middle-of-the-road rating. It’s just.. OK
Chameleon (+ Bambi)
“Chameleon”, … trust me, you’ll be humming it.
Chameleon is a good one. It maintains that mystery feel from Disappear, but, it doesn’t just stay there, it kicks into such a great track. This is the first track with a feature on the album, there’s a few to come, and whilst I don’t think Bambi offers too much, especially, initially, once she starts singing in French, it really adds a new extra umff to the track which I love.
Then once the bridge kicks in, then the chorus kicks in, it becomes impossible not to bop and end up singing along. I mean, let’s be real, the chorus is just Chameleon repeated, so, even in French Caméléon, you can still join in.
Game
If it’s a game we’re playing
Then I guess I’ll keep playing on too
After listening to the entire album, I have to question the decision to make this one a single. This one of the weakest songs on the album. I’m not saying it’s awful, but, it just doesn’t go anywhere. I’ve heard many describe Jonathan’s voice as just lazy, but, I’ve always come back and said that’s his style. In this one, it just is lazy.
It kicks off with quite an interesting pleasant riff, and drum beat and you start to think, “ohh, ok, this is cool”. But, it just doesn’t go anywhere. You’re left with 5:37 of the exact same thing. Maybe it was a game he was playing. But, yeah, skiiippp. ⏩
Cloak and Dagger
Atmospheric and funky with an almost punk feel, nice.
Kicking off with a beat almost reminiscent of something you’d expect from The Happy Mondays, Cloak and Dagger is an interesting one. We’ve not heard intentionally high vocals from Jonathan since City Baby, and, it sounds really good and atmospheric.
With an added guitar hue in the middle of each separation, it keeps that cool sound and feel. I will say, it’s once again, a song that starts builds but doesn’t peak, if you know what I mean. But, I love the vocal changes that it has, so, for that reason it gets a better rating than songs like that, such as Disappear.
Confidant
Dark atmospheric feel, a hint of French backing, plus a complete change mid-way
Confidant was the first song that really got my attention, making me do a repeat once it was done. Love the dark feel from the get-go, and, again, that atmosphere is just incredible. Whilst, I will say, from the first verse, it doesn’t fit as perfectly as I would have liked it, once it gets to the chorus, and continues towards the end, the feel of the song changes after the 2 minute mark, and I just love it.
Whilst this one doesn’t credit who’s adding the French backing, I can only guess it’s Bambi, again. But, either way, the feel and the piercing vocals that follow it through, make this an instant favourite from me.
Honey
Definitely feels like the same lack of build up that kicked off the album, shame really.
The start of this song reminds me of some evil level in some game like Sonic, or something, but once it builds in you remember it’s a Jonathan Bree song. I don’t think this is a song that you’ll see and feel the want to tap on, but, I guess it’s alright.
The problem is, it just doesn’t go anywhere. And, I’ll be honest, listening to it for this review, I almost skipped it entirely. So, yeah, probably the worst track on the album.
Live To Dance (+ Princess Chelsea)
You know what they say, sex sells, right?
Or, at least, that’s the impression you get from the very saucy music video. This was one of the earlier singles and, I can, kind of, see why. Whenever Jonathan Bree works with Princess Chelsea, it’s always easy fan service for those who’ve followed them since Cigarette Duet. This one’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. Yes, it sounds very Jonathan Bree, it’s got the dark undertone and it even builds into a chorus, it just doesn’t grab you, though. At the end, you’re thinking, OK fine I’ll dance if it stops you asking.
It was certainly a shock to the system to release a music video featuring two models, literally naked, in the video. But, this was the first introduction to the incredibly uncouth theme of this album, which, literally, is, sex. Sold to you by an around 50-year-old man, who knew.
Medicine
Slowly drifts towards the end, but, suffers from what many do on this album, no peak.
Medicine kicks off feeling like an older Jonathan Bree track, which, certainly isn’t a bad thing. This would have fitted right in to the Sleepwalking album. It reminds me, actually, though of a song later like No Reminders, and whilst it does pitch up towards the end like that song did, it doesn’t grab me in the same way. Shame, really.
I think what saves this song, though, is the strings and feel that it has in the instrumental. That’s probably the only thing saving it from being another rather low review.
This Is Me
This … is … me … Ah, ah
Just in case you’d forgotten what this was called, you get reminded 5 times before it kicks off, thanks for that. Of course, not, that’s the chorus that kicks it off. This has a really cool sound to it, even if it sounds like Jonathan is really bellowing at some points. The, almost, alarm tones give it that extra sense of, almost, urgency as the atmosphere carries it to the end.
The only thing that annoys me about this track is that it’s got all the recipes to be much better, but, just didn’t get that extra time or effort to put it there.
Part-time Lover (+ Princess Chelsea)
This is the Jonathan Bree sound that we were all waiting for, signature all the way. They rarely fail them two.
If we just ignore Live To Dance as the big single with Princess Chelsea, and instead focus on this one, then everything becomes much better. This is how a duet should feel. It has that back and forth between them, with their own vocals within the verses, and joined together for the chorus. Love the middle-8 too when it kicks into a more somber instrumental as we reach the close. Sure, it’s a song about two people, essentially, mixing with each other for sex, part-time lovers indeed, but it’s such a pleasant song to listen to.
You find yourself towards the end just repeating “Part-time Lover” with them both, once you pass the refrain, a really cool sounding and addictive track, aided and more than helped by Chelseas inclusion.
Just Like An Angel
Easily the best track on the album. The theme may be hard to explain without being judged, but, the sound works so well.
This song is all about atmosphere, it just sends you to a completely different world, especially in the second half when Jonathan adds his own backing to the song. Listening just takes you out of everything. So much so, you forget that this song is about a woman sitting on a mans face to get…umm, something to eat, let’s just say. Normally when you think of song with that kind of theme, you’re left with some wannabe rapper, but, here you are, a completely different take on the whole thing.
It sounds sexy, it sounds flirtatious, it sounds mysterious, it has that same dark atmospheric feel that I think was the aim of the album, and, with this one, it just works perfectly. This is one track I can’t stop myself from playing anytime this album shows up in my library. One issue, of course, it’s hard to really be miming lyrics like “straddle my skull” in public, without feeling a bit self conscious 😁.
Savour My Life (+ Rachel Clarke)
Rachel Clarke really carries this song, with its 70s dark vibes that just add that extra ambiance.
One of the first really major singles that came from this album was Saviour My Love, featuring, for the most part, entirely, Rachel Clarke. She carries this song from the beginning to the end, to the point that if it wasn’t for the incredibly minor inclusion of Jonathan’s vocals, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was just her track. He literally just goes “everybody needs a hero / villain”, that’s literally about it.
Again, it suffers, slightly, from the same repetitive vibe that a lot of tracks on this album suffer from, however, this one does get that build up and peak that you’re waiting for in all the rest. Once you get to the middle-8, you get that increase in tension, and when she reaches some of those notes near the final build up, it has arrived.
Gun
Sub Title Summarising It
The start of Gun reminds me of those sound effects you hear on places like TikTok if something is haunted, it really gives off that vibe. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really have vocals and follow-ups that really match that energy in the way that fits. I find it, actually rather disappointing.
Just like the track This Is Me, this has all the necessary things to make this a really cool and mysterious track, and, whilst it does have such a unique feel, definitely the most haunting of the tracks on this album, once the final Gun is spoken, it just doesn’t feel like it ever delivers.
Don’t Call It Love (+ Adah Dylan)
This is the title track for the album, and, whilst it lets you know what it’s called, you’re left with… is that it?
This is it, the title track. It’s funny, because I can’t think of many title tracks from albums recently that have been the best tracks for a long time and… that continues here. This has a really cool sound to it, love the instrumental a lot in this, actually, but, all you’re left with is a really weird spoken vocal that whilst does have the intimidating impact that it’s intended to, again, you’re left with an empty feel for the song, overall.
“Don’t mention love, when we touch, don’t call it love, when we fuck” – What a lovely message this brings 😂. Obviously, this is about flings, it’s about one-night-stands, but, whilst the message is clear in the end, they could have done so much more with this.
She Was Fun
The trio of snoozefest tracks, unfortunately, continues. Another not great one.
If you listen to this album from start to finish, by the time you’ve reached She Was Fun, especially once you’ve got through a bit of it, you’re probably just about ready to give up on this album. This isn’t the worst of the three, it just doesn’t compete with the better tracks or build where it should have. Yet again.
Like all Jonathan Bree songs, this has such a good instrumental, it’s funky, keeps that vibe going in all the right ways, and I’d even argue vocally this is actually rather good in the vocal, especially with those added effects. But, whilst She Was Fun… apparently, this song was just alright.
Slow (+ Princess Chelsea)
Sub Title Summarising It
Finally, we get a track to save the feel of this album, and, with who else, than Princess Chelsea. Slow is, as you’d expect, a rather slow song, but this is such a good feel. Again, a very back-and-fourth track, like Part-time Lover, but, this has such an almost romantic and flirtatious feel to it. It’s another example, alongside Just Like An Angel, where you can get a real sense of where they were trying to go with this album.
Obviously, in lyric context, its about having sex, but, unlike most other tracks on this, this is a song that builds with the love for that person. I love the way Chelsea, whilst, just providing supporting vocals, it’s such a relaxing feel. Then, once Jonathan pitches that middle-8, almost, speaking vocal added with Chelsea’s beautiful sounding backing, all summarising the love intent, that completes the picture just perfectly. Such a nice feel. Being a song called Slow, does mean it’s also quite a long one, but, thankfully, he didn’t pick the last 3 as the 6 minute track.
Little Miss No Name
Sub Title Summarising It
Well, here we are, the conclusion of the album, Little Miss No Name. This has a feel from Jonathan that I don’t think I’ve heard since his debut album, singing with his stretched falsetto is always a risk for him as, without intense croaks, he can’t really reach those notes.
What saves this track isn’t just the atmosphere, but the way it concludes. It has a way of doing quite a few good closing tracks, looking at you Steel and Glass and There is Sadness, to name just two. Once you get to the close with the female vocals of “big girls don’t cry”, added with the string sections and more, it ends just beautifully. Whilst it’s certainly not the best song on the album, it’s a better one than what we’ve seen, for sure. Not his strongest closure though.
Album overview and final thoughts
Don’t Call It Love is both a great, poor, and, annoying album at the same time. Every song that’s bad on this, you can feel and think of ways that it could have easily been a hit. There’s a ton of mid tracks here, also, which, are still decent to listen to but, again, just don’t have that extra umff that you wish they did.
Where it wins, it really wins, though, with tracks; Chameleon, Confidant, Part-time Lover, Just Like An Angel, Saviour My Love, Slow and, sure the end is nice, too. If the entire 17 track album, had the same vibe as those 7 that I’ve mentioned, we’d be looking at an easy 5 star album from Jonathan Bree, here. But, it has to be 4. And, honestly, it’s only even 4 star because the good tracks are that good.
Also, if like me, you’re not a fan of that album art being all over your devices in public, I made a more low-key version, you can see below.
I’ll be exploring and revisiting his previous albums, and, I’m sure many more, going forward, so, keep it locked to BEHANN where I’ll be posting more Music Reviews.
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