Review: Mo’Ju (Adelaide Festival)
Words by Jialun Qi
Her authenticity was radiant both within her songs and in between them
Venue: Adelaide Festival Summerhouse
Length: 1 hour
Distinct from your mainstream belly-belching Ariana Grande copycats, Mo’Ju’s voice had a complex timbre. It was at once raspy and smooth, resonant yet whispery, as if she had ingrained subtle post-production effects into her vocal cords. Instead of belching out tunes with jaw-dropping range, she sang like a storyteller.
Her multifaceted voice gave her slow ballads such soulfulness, they needed only a beat to be complete. I could never remember song titles, but I loved all the ones that featured only her voice and the electronic kit. They needed nothing else.
Her fast songs were full of classic synths and groovy beats, but the rich texture of the synths was constantly muddling her already rich-enough vocals, making it sound as if too many things were going on at once. I love retro synths, I do, but unlike orange-flavoured Starbursts, there is such a thing as too many synths.
Still, I loved the variety of her portfolio. Mo’Ju used a consistent pool of synths and bass sounds for her backing tracks, but unlike The Weeknd post-2018, she could write songs using the same instrumentation but still make them sound unique. There were five or six slow ballads, yet no two sounded the same.
When I listen to a song, I can never make out its lyrics; most times, this has nothing to do with the artists’ enunciation and everything to do with my Neanderthal ear canals. I caught maybe a handful of words from each song, yet Mo’Ju’s voice told me what she was singing about more than words ever could. It conveyed such depth of emotion, such agonizing enlightenment, that lyrics were unnecessary. It was subtly done too. Never did she “belch one out” or put on an act. She was just singing stories while being herself.
Her authenticity was radiant both within her songs and in between them. I find those who do not speak in bullshit to be naturally hilarious, and Mo’Ju was, once again, funnier than any stand-up comic I have seen this year. The one-hour show was barely long enough for her to get warmed up. I could have easily listened to her sing and talk shit for three hours. Maybe not four though. The show was outdoors, and it was ten degrees in early March. Thanks, climate change.
I rarely say this, but you will be missing out on one of the best experiences of your life if you do not go see Mo’Ju live. An album cannot do her justice. You need to experience her voice in person. While the quality of her songs may vary, there are many knockouts, and as soon as you hear the low boom of the synth bass drum kicking in at 60bpm, you will realize that this might just be the realest human being you will ever encounter.
