Before it even begins, the attitude of Faith Healer’s sophomore full-length, Try 😉, is made abundantly clear. Its title establishes a care-free playfulness that holds fast throughout, as singer-songwriter Jessica Jalbert presents listeners with a collection of bedroom pop tunes reminiscent of contemporaries like Cate Le Bon. Songs such as “Might as Well” and the album’s titular track display this its purest form, sounding as if they could have been plucked straight from the radio waves 40-some years ago. Jalbert also exudes a strong dream-pop influence on this project, fully indulging in the genre’s spacious reverb and ethereal vocal-style on “Best Saved 4 Last” and “Sterling Silver,” which is easily one of the record’s strongest tracks with its lush keys and synth-driven beat. One of the greatest strengths of Try 😉 is its flow as an album. The songs here move with and into one another in a way that maintains the record’s atmosphere without ever dragging things out for too long over its slim 32 minute length. The laid-back groove of “Waiting,” for example, manages to transition into the tense drive of “Light of Loving” without a hitch. At its core, Try 😉 is an LP that doesn’t try to be anything more than it is. Faith Healer keeps things simple and greatly benefits from it. This is a wonderful effort from a promising, young artist and is definitely worth a try.
– Christian Touchet