jonatan leandoer96: "Nectar" (Album Review)

Genres: Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Singer-Songwriter

Nectar is an interesting album to me, because of how disconnected it is from the rest of the artist’s music. This is the second record from Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad’s side project jonatan leandoer96 (formerly titled jonatan leandoer127). Jonatan is more known for his work as Yung Lean, and his cloud rap sound. Constantly expanding his horizons, this album is unlike anything else he’s put out. What elevates Nectar as a record is that it’s not just something different, but also an artistic evolution. Diverse skills in creative areas are used to further develop Jonatan’s vision. It’s a venture into something new and personal, which is both admirable and entertaining.

A weird strength of this album is its level of rawness. Although there is a polish to the instrumentals, which gives them a sleek sound, much of Nectar feels very unfiltered. Jonatan’s singing is the clearest example of this, which isn’t the best from a technical standpoint and can even be hard to listen to, but it’s something I genuinely love. My connection to this album started from understanding how pure and honest it was. There’s a strange mix of depth and simplicity, all stemming from what feels like a direct route of Jonatan’s ideas to the listener. Beauty is more of a tangential quality, that’s evoked from the emotional atmosphere created by the record. It’s hard not to just feel when you’re exposed to this level of honesty.

Rawness and vulnerability go hand in hand as the narrative of Nectar is primarily revolved around Jonatan’s dark side, the part of himself that he doesn’t like. His pain is shown on Razor Love, with the lyrics, “Your razor love eats me inside”, and “The evil me works / To cover their marks” on “Psycho’s in Charge”, which set the tone of the album. There’s an excellent mix of abstract nihilistic sentiments and direct statements of darkness, as they both add to the fullness of the atmosphere. Even though songs on Nectar tend to be lighter and minimalistic, they carry a powerful weight. 

Music, and art as a whole, is a beautiful form of self-expression, which is a sentiment demonstrated by this album. When I listen to Nectar, I hear the work of someone laying himself bare. It’s difficult to explain how important it is to have a portrait of vulnerability. It’s such a human way of framing things, which helps emphasize the personal content that serves as the focus of the album. 

Nectar isn’t a showcase of immense technical proficiency or even the best display of some of Jonatan’s greatest strengths. But it is a great display of artistry in its most basic form, a translation of concepts into the concrete world. Additionally, Jonatan’s versatility is utilized to great effect, using different qualities for exploration both sonically and thematically. This album is what I truly consider to be a pure display of art and expression. Even with the somewhat rough vocals and songs that end abruptly, there’s real emotion that’s communicated effectively. 

Favorite Tracks: Porcelain, Psycho’s in Charge, Wooden Girl, Off With Their Heads, My Guardian, Razor Love

Least Favorites: n/a

Enjoyment: Low 8
Critically: Low 8
Arbitrary Number: 8.3/10