by Jules Atlas - Postcards From Sophia
Flyctory.com Pros
- Eleven nicely written song
- Gentle ballads
- Beautiful storytelling
Flyctory.com Cons
- Songs rather similar
The clumsy yet unswerving attempts of being an artist – that’s how Jules Atlas describes himself on his Facebook profile. The German singer-songwriter from Hamburg has already grown as an artist in several parts of the world. On 1st December 2023, he released his debut album Postcards From Sophia.
Jules Atlas – About The Artist
Jules Atlas is a German artist from Hamburg. At the age of 18, he moved to London, where he has been based for a long time. He is nowadays back in Germany after also gaining some international experience in the USA and being on tour as a main act and support artist since several years.
Jules Atlas – Postcards From Sophia – Track by Track
The eleven song album lasts 39 minutes.
1. Lost With Me
The album opens with a very characteristic song – and one of the best ones of the album as well: Lost With Me comes with a refreshing mix of folk and pop elements. Atlas’ voice feels warm, pleasant, emotional. And the song stays in your mind.
2. Lockers
We’re getting breakfast at the cafe at the station of the Circle Line – the first lines of this song already take you to London, where Jules Atlas grew as a musician. The British capital does not play that much of a role thereafter – Lockers is a beautiful, very gentle ballad, which does not need much more than a piano and the vocals of the singer-songwriter. Towards the end, the song turns into a folk-pop sound, similar to the opener.
3. To Love You
To Love You starts a bit slowly with strumming guitars, but almost turns into shanty qualities during the chorus. Nice listen.
I don’t wanna tell them you are stone cold in your heart
But I cannot pretend you know the warmth my flesh demands
Now I’m the one who’s falling like a fool into your arms to love you
4. Wait For Me
The fourth track is another ballad. The song is gently embedded into piano tunes and brushed drumming. And when Jules Atlas asks Darling, wait for me, you definitely feel some warmth in your heart – if it is not completely made of stone. A bit of kitsch is fine in winter times.
5. Leave The Light On
The fresh vibe of Leave The Light On turns the fifth track into an almost cheeky listen. At least, you just have to move and enjoy the uplifting rhythm.
6. Freedom
Freedom is groovy, laid back, cool. The closing of the song feels a bit like a mantra, which makes it stay in your mind even better.
7. You
The longest song of the album (4:25 minutes) is another gentle, fragile listen. You comes with a beautiful melody. Not that surprising that the artist and his team chose it as a single release.
8. In Circles
With In Circles, the album moves more into the folk-pop direction again. This time, the focus is not that much on the chorus. The song feels more balanced.
9. Lions
Lions is a typical radio track to me. However, while the press kit states four successful single releases, the song released in July 2023 just made it to 5,800 Spotify streams so far. It deserves more than that.
10. Falling
Falling feels to be another ballad on the album. However, the three minute song gaines quite a lot of energy and power in its middle.
11. Postcards
The story of the song is told by contents from postcards sent from different places around the world. I love the storytelling of this last track of Postcards From Sophia, which is somehow the title track of the album as well.
Jules Atlas – Postcards From Sophia – Spotify
Here is the album on Spotify
Jules Atlas – Postcards From Sophia – My View
When I ran into Postcards From Sophia on a promotion platform, I felt I just have to share this song with you. I liked the first songs I listened to too much. Again, however, I am running into the problem that a set of good songs does not make a good album. I feel that the eleven tracks too much move between two musical comfort zones – gentle ballads and pop-ish folk tracks. The songs are too similar to me, there are too few surprising elements like To Love You in here. Bad luck, as the storytelling is really lovely.
Jules Atlas – Tour Dates
After two album release shows, Jules Atlas will present Postcasrd From Sophia in March 2023 in Germany:
| Mo 04.12.2023 | Hamburg – Uwe Reeperbahn | |
| We 06.12.2023 | Berlin – Bar Bobu Friedrichshain | |
| Fr 15.03.2024 | St. Peter-Ording – Urban Nature Hotel | |
| Sa 16.03.2024 | Lüneburg – Spätcafe im Glockenhof | |
| Th 21.03.2024 | Cologne – Die Wohngemeinschaft |
Media Reviews – Folk Music Debuts
Here are all my Media Reviews dealing with debut releases in folk music:
Jon Muq – Flying Away
Ellison – Somewhere in Oslo EP
Merlin Hydes – In Plain Sight
Fabian Kuhn – Constellations EP
Backstrom – The Carousel
Ticket To Happiness – Aufbruch EP
Electric Horseman – Lies to Love for
Kendall Lujan – Forget Me Knots EP
Masha The Rich Man – Sheyne Ziere
Arny Margret – they only talk about the weather
Wooden Empire – Ghosts
HAVET – Mamas Lullaby EP
Avi Kaplan – Floating On A Dream
Mina Richman – Jaywalker EP
Arny Margret – intertwined
Spoon And The Forkestra – The Fondest Flinch EP
Ian Tray Band – Electricity
Flora Falls – Ankle Deep EP
Leah Blevins – First Time Feeling
Diana DeMuth – Misadventure
Phavors – Petals EP
Maple & Rye – For Everything
A Choir of Ghosts – An Ounce of Gold
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