kJADE, a multimedia artist always looking for new expressive outlets, takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster with her debut album, THE SOUND THAT TREES MAKE. In the past, she has taken part in performance art exhibitions and modeled for magazines like Envy Mag. She started making music back in 2022, with her passively aggressive single, “REASON.” Since then, she has released the single “MONEY MANTRA,” a pump-up rap anthem, and features on various other artists’ songs. However, this most recent album is the perfect culmination of all her hard work, creating a relaxed and confident project sure to lift any listener.
THE SOUND THAT TREES MAKES begins with “THE TOWER,” an almost tranquil R&B track. At first, all you hear is rustling in the background along with the furious scribbling of a pencil. But soon, a hazy guitar track fades in, over which kJADE weaves her words. The singer is very assertive in her tone, but the lyrics tell a different story, one fearful for the state of America. “Fallacies kept under wraps / in a state of panic or pandemic” she raps over a repeated chorus that says, “The world is a place / for the whole human race.” The song seems concerned with how many faces the people and world around you can have, and how you discern which they’re showing you is their real one.
“NO SUDDEN MOVES”, the third track, takes a similar, retrospective approach to many current social justice movements. She reflects on world wars — “Free Sudan and Congo, Palestine” — comparing them with her personal tragedies. The song begins with echoing sirens, making it stand out from the often-quiet rest of the album. It also features some of the fastest rapping kJADE does, as if trying to keep up with all the ever-increasing tragedy in the world.
However, my favorite track off the album is the fifth, “SPIRITUAL WARFARE VETERAN.” It has a specific type of confidence that I’ve only heard from the likes of Kali Uchis and Amaarae, perfect for recentering oneself. A cassette tape scratches and then, a muffled man’s voice can be heard. It sounds like he’s harassing the singer, and the rest of the song seems to be recorded over this, erasing any effect he had on her. The first line “If I die tonight tell this life I dearly love it” is incredibly impactful in its uncertainty, and sets listeners up for the spiritual journey the song takes you on. Even as she describes all the warfare of the people and universe around her, in the final moments, she declares that she “choose[s] to live.”
“4 THINGS YOU CAN HEAR, 3 THINGS YOU CAN TOUCH” manages to be calming differently, and is one of the more sonically interesting off the album. It begins with a sample of possibly my favorite Bjork song, “It’s Oh So Quiet.” We then move into a building twinkly beat, full of layered instrumentals that only enhance kJADE’s voice. She raps about the things that make her feel overwhelmed—her best songs being “stepped on,” death all around her—but the backing track keeps a soothing energy. Even adding the sounds of running water, only adds to these reassuring vibes that the singer channels.
The final song, “THE GODS DECIDE!,” brings in elements from many previous songs; an ideal sendoff. Once again, there’s the crackly opening of a tape, but more electronic sounds are added to the instrumentals. They almost sound alien—from the gods themselves. kJADE’s maturity comes through especially here, with lines like “It is what it is and not what you know.” The track ends as tenderly as it started, marked by crinkling paper and chirping birds. It sounds as if the entire album was left outside for the world to see. With this final song, she’s taking a step back, realizing she ultimately can’t be the one in control just because the music is hers. The singer is constantly worrying about the people around her and the way they view her persona and creations. When we put ourselves out into the world, people can judge us in ways that fundamentally go against what we know to be true. But that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing—if you’re able to accept it. “THE GODS DECIDE!” lets the gods, and the world, decide the fate of this album. THE SOUND THAT TREES MAKE is a masterclass in self-assurance, integral to kJADE’s performance artist roots. I can’t help but feel assured, both in kJADE’s future work and my own future, whether it’s in our control or not.
