Indie music is more accessible and easier to make now than it’s ever been. Finding a good indie song or artist is almost too easy even. Scrolling through TikTok will have you finding countless artists making music straight from their homes, each one vying for your attention. But something memorable? The type of sound that you listen to once and it’s already stuck on repeat in your head? That’s harder to come across. But here is Juno Rucker. He only has a small selection of songs out now, but they’re enough to get a listener hooked.
Putting Juno’s music in a box by calling it “indie” wouldn’t be fair, though. Through the few songs he has out currently, it’s apparent that Juno draws influences from other genres such as rap and R&B.
His two oldest singles, “missin u.” and “CRYNOMORE,” are closer to a recognizable indie sound. Both tracks consist of dreamy guitar chords, an easy-to-follow drum loop, and refrains that you can pick up on instantly. On “missin u.” there’s the phrase, “Let me get a little second to get it together baby” that serves as an absolute earworm of a bridge. On “CRYNOMORE” it’s the chorus of the song that sees Juno’s vocals complemented by a twangy guitar melody. “CRYNOMORE” even has the iconic cassette tape start and finish.
REDUX, a single consisting of two songs, is where I think Juno’s unique sound is best, though. The first song, “oneandonly,” showcases his range as he both sings and raps effortlessly over a guitar-backed R&B beat. The background harmonies on this song especially shine, complementing the smoothly delivered bounce to his rap verses and the chorus. “Old brain.” on the other hand is a song that perfectly captures what’s most enticing about Juno’s music: his ability to write a catchy hook. One listen will have, “Same thing that’s running through my old brain,” on loop in your head for hours.
Now we get to Juno’s current newest songs “function” and “Turkish Jade.” These two tracks feel like Juno at his most comfortable. That’s not to say comfortable as in safe, but more so that these songs feel like a reminder of his talent. “Function” is a short interlude, where he showcases both his effortless rapping and singing voice in just under a minute and a half. “Turkish Jade” sees Juno delivering his most memorable moments yet in an alt rock track that’s an instant classic. The “hey’s” that jump between your ears during the slower parts of the song fill just the right amount of space. Coupled with the “Do too” in the first chorus where everything else drops out to let it breathe, and within less than a minute you’re already hooked.
Juno Rucker might have only a handful of music out right now, but that’s all the reason more to keep an eye on him as he continues releasing and developing his sound.
