If Everybody Works demonstrated an emotional evolution on the part of now Los Angeles-based musician Melina Duterte (a.k.a. Jay Som), then her new album Anak Ko…well, it continues that emotional evolution.
The release of Anak Ko on August 23 (courtesy of Polyvinyl) takes place subsequent to a 2017 move to Los Angeles from Duterte’s birthplace in the Bay Area, and just like her last album conveyed a newfound contentedness with where her musical career was taking her, she now seems increasingly cool with the increasing attention that she’s gotten as a result of her introspective, bedroom pop songs. She still insists on humility and the unavoidability of mistakes, however. (Keyboards simply must keep the backspace button!)
But even though Anak Ko continues that tradition of Jay Som assuming the production/engineering duties entirely by herself, it’s also her first release where she seriously welcomed contributions from outside musicians; including Laetitia Tamko (Vagabon), Annie Truscott (Chastity Belt), Taylor Vick (Boy Scouts), and Justus Proffit. “Superbike,” the first single from the release, certainly suggests a continued casualness of overall musical style, and arguably a persistence of not-so-secret shoegaze appreciation, but Duterte’s stated desire for “more [grooviness]” seems to come through as well.
“Anak ko” means “my child” in Tagalog, by the way. Have a listen to “Superbike,” head here if you wish to pre-order, and check out Duterte’s humble (but massive!) list of world tour dates after that:
Anak Ko tracklisting:
01. If You Want It
02. Superbike
03. Peace Out
04. Devotion
05. Nighttime Drive
06. Tenderness
07. Anak Ko
08. Crown
09. Get Well
Dates:
07.20.19 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
09.11.19 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge #$
09.12.19 - San Diego, CA - The Irenic #$
09.13.19 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex #$
09.14.19 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore #$
09.17.19 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial #$
09.18.19 - Seattle, WA - Neumos #$
09.19.19 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge #$
09.20.19 - Boise, ID - Neurolux #$
09.21.19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge #$
09.24.19 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge #$
09.26.19 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada #$
09.27.19 - Austin, TX - Barracuda #$
09.28.19 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) #$
10.15.19 - Lawrence, KS - Granada %#
10.16.19 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry %#
10.17.19 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon %#
10.18.19 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall %#
10.19.19 - Columbus, OH - The Basement %#
10.21.19 - Detroit, MI - El Club %#
10.22.19 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground %#
10.23.19 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB %#
10.25.19 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere %#
10.26.19 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair %#
10.27.19 - Burlington, VT - ArtsRiot %#
10.29.19 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry %#
10.30.19 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel %#
10.31.19 - Raleigh, NC - Kings %#
11.01.19 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Purgatory Stage) %#
11.02.19 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt %#
11.07.19 - Hamburg, Germany - Molotow (Sky Bar)
11.09.19 - Stockholm, Sweden - Bar Brooklyn
11.10.19 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Ideal Bar
11.12.19 - Berlin, Germany - Kantine am Berghain
11.15.19 - Paris, France - Supersonic
11.16.19 - Brussels, Belgium - Botanique (Witloof Bar)
11.17.19 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Bitterzoet
11.19.19 - Brighton, UK - Patterns
11.20.19 - London, UK - The Garage
11.21.19 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
11.22.19 - Bristol, UK - Exchange
11.24.19 - Manchester, UK - YES (Pink Room)
11.25.19 - Nottingham, UK - The Bodega Social Club
11.26.19 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo
11.27.19 - Dublin, Ireland - The Workmans Club
# Boy Scouts
$ Affectionately
% Gia Margaret
More about: Jay Som
