Chris Dupont - Jawline // Visitor

By: Taylor Beals

Ambient singer-songwriter Chris DuPont has released two new tracks, Jawline and Visitor.  While each of these track shines alone in their own right, they are better experienced together as they paint a delicate scene of two lovers finding refuge in one another.  His lyrics mirror the deep sense of intimacy that the instrumentals create with the listener.  On his Bandcamp, DuPont describes the tracks as “songs of longing and reunion… made with love during a time of isolation.”  These emotions are truly captured in the music and lyrics, and are further amplified, given the current global climate.

On the first track, Jawline, a light, effects drenched guitar line drones over a strong, pronounced piano melody as DuPont gently croons.  He sings of finding refuge in his lover’s arms, feeling a sense of home as they intertwine. “Oh, lover who am I to interfere with your voices of reason?” he asks, “I am a lion snapping at the snare, and bleeding.” DuPont opens us up to his fears and anxieties, of fully giving in, but ultimately allowing himself to do so, and finding great relief and comfort. 

Just as Jawline speaks to DuPont’s finding his own solace in the embrace of his lover, Visitor reveals to us his longing to provide the same relief in return.  Lo-fi guitar plucking is accompanied over the top by a soft piano line, as bright keys, like stars, twinkle in the background.  DuPont’s vocals enter the arrangement with just a touch of autotune.  On the refrain, these vocals begin to swell, reminiscent of Imogene Heap in Hide and Seek as he cries, “If I had unlimited time, eternal life, I’d take it here with you… let me find you.”

While short, the latest two tracks from Chris DuPont give us a taste of what may be to come, particularly given the isolation that many of us are currently under.  Many of us are feeling alone and distant from the ones that we love.  DuPont perfectly captures these feelings, while also providing a sense of comfort and safety.  It is my hope that when you listen to it, it will also evoke those emotions in you.

Listen to Visitor and Jawline here https://chrisdupont.bandcamp.com