Album Review: JSD - Late Nights and Wavey Lights

Grime veteran and Virus Syndicate member JSD moves into the realm of solo work with his first project Late Nights & Wavey Lights. Stepping away from the dubstep-infused grime of the Manchester collective, JSD strips away the heavy bass in favour of lo-fi beats and honest lyricism to create an album that perfectly reflects him as an artist. 

Opener and title track ‘Late Nights & Wavey Lights’ eases you into the record with a catchy hook that helps to introduce the audience to the narrative of the album. The project progresses with ‘Missing You’, a track that delves deeper into the emotional underlining behind the record. This is one of the strongest tracks on the project, as the raw lyrics combine with a captivating beat to make for a really memorable listen. JSD opens up even more to his audience on ‘Money on My Mind’ as he says ‘I’m writing this for you’ in what feels more like a conversation with the artist himself. This track perfectly encapsulates the deep connection between JSD, his music and his listeners. 

While the album does slow down in the middle section, there’s still some impressive and notable moments - especially on ‘Right Now’ featuring Prima. The combination of Prima’s vocals and the piano-led instrumental make it one of the more contemporary-sounding tracks on the project. Following this is perhaps the pinnacle of Late Night and Wavey Nights, as JSD presents a fascinating juxtaposition on ‘Try My Best’ and ‘Overdose’ - with the two tracks contrasting JSD’s relationship with drugs. The production elements differ intensely between heavy bass and lighter instrumentation, mirroring the fight between his desire for self-improvement and his more reckless tendencies.

The penultimate track on the album ‘Lockdown’ revisits the hook from the title track, but what was a feeling of nostalgia is replaced with a sense of reality as JSD describes the ‘long days and long nights’ - neatly wrapping up the narrative of the album. While the final track leaves the album almost open ended, it’s evident the album is stitched together with experience and is definitely worthy of a listen for those who appreciate lo-fi beats and raw lyrics. 

Words: Chloe Rackham