Drawing us in with an emotive folk-rock-guitar soundscape featuring textured drums and a captivating vocal performance, What’s the New Mary Jane open A Piece of Fruit Will Set You Free with notions of nostalgia.
The lyrics invite us to remember relics of the past, embrace a life without technology and ultimately connect with nature. The hook and title of the track “a piece of fruit will set you free” resonates far beyond the literal. It’s holds a deep-rooted message of conscious connection and the symbolism of fruit as salvation and liberation for humanity.
Fans of Bob Dylan would be able to connect with the narrative-driven storytelling of the track, and the Lou Reed-inspired timbre of the main vocals is deeply moving. We love the layered harmonies for the choruses, and can imagine that fans of Leonard Cohen and Rufus Wainwright would also be able to vibe with what What’s the New Mary Jane are creating. The duo also cite David Bowie and The Velvet Underground as sonic influences.
The instrumental segue before the final chorus is sublime with warm electric piano textures and a transcendental strings arrangement. The cerebral outro feels highly psychedelic, a fitting motif following the title of the track – akin to a spiritual ascension.
There is no doubt that the track holds a cinematic allure, and would be perfect for a sync placement in a trippy and existential TV show like Nine Perfect Strangers which sees a group of people take psychedelics to reconnect with source energy and disconnect from the trials of modern reality.
What’s the New Mary Jane is a songwriting and recording project from England’s West Country, formed by cousins Robert and Dave Wildman. We learn that A Piece of Fruit Will Set You Free is taken from their album Do Not Switch Off, so we are grateful to have six more tracks to experience from the band.
A Piece of Fruit Will Set You Free has been added to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of What’s the New Mary Jane, including the entirety of Do Not Switch Off.