JnM - Weight of the World

JnM

​Weight of the World
self-released; 2022

By Dan Weston
​

JnM is the married couple of Jeff Falkenstein and Martha Anne Carr. The duo are based in Mandeville, LA. They have played various local gigs over the past twenty years under various names and recently released The Weight of the World. It’s a twelve-song album that is a compilation of various styles, including power pop, Americana, folk pop and a classic singer/songwriter feel.

They get going with “The Director” which is nice sounding rock that blends warm Americana vibes. The feeling I was getting right off the bat was an upbeat song that puts you in a good mood. It felt like a summer jam. The chorus is catchy and I thought the melodies were memorable. I also thought the harmonica sounded great.

“The Only One I Love” is where they display some of their talent blending vocal harmonies. This song has a similar aesthetic but perhaps has a little more of a ’90s flavor. The song drives and the chorus is infectious and it was quickly becoming apparent they have catchy songs.

One of the highlights was “Los Congos.” I loved the worldly vibe here. The groove sticks with you and there is just some great instrumentation overall. Between the lyrics and the melody, the song might make you feel like you’re in the jungle On the chorus they sing “Oh, can’t you hear them calling. / Crying out into the sun. / The precious forest around them is falling. / The howling monkeys on the run.”

“May 19th (of any given year)” is an intimate song at first that blossoms into quite the arrangement. I was getting Fleetwood Mac vibes and perhaps Cat Stevens as well in regards to the instrumentations. The guitar work was exceptional on this song.

“Flower (featuring Elise Falkenstein)” felt very cinematic and motivational to my ears while “The Weight of the World” contains some of the best overlapping vocal melodies. One of my favorite songs on the album was “Queen of Spite” which is just a lot of fun. It felt like a song you would want to hear on a Saturday night. The slight surf rock flavor was well done.

As the album progressed I thought there was a nice variety of genres while not going too far into left field. It all felt connected. “So Caught Up In Him” and the closer “Glory of the Lord” felt like standouts. 

​I thought this was a solid album from beginning to end. The songwriting and delivery was top notch. I think their biggest strength was their ability to harmonize together. There’s a lot to appreciate here. Take a listen.

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