Nervous System is the debut EP (or mini-album, as she called it for some reason) from songwriter/singer Julia Michaels. It was released on July 28th, 2017. Julia Michaels built her reputation by writing many, many pop tracks, for just about every artist that you can think of. She helped make so many songs Billboard hits, so she definitely has quite a bit of reputation to stand on. Every track except the first one is produced by Mattman & Robin, and curiously, Julia is not the sole writer; she has 3 other co-writers on every single track except the final one.
Even though Julia has helped lots of other artists, the GP didn't really know her name until her lead single, "Issues". Her voice is rather strange; it's lilting and kind of squeaky, but at least she's different sounding. Other than that, this is a very stereotypical pop song; if you looked up "boring pop", this would be it. Do keep in mind that I absolutely adore pop, but this is just so generic... The lyrics aren't too amazing, but the harmonies are nice, at least. Somehow, this got to 11 on the Billboard 100, which I will never understand. The production is by Benny Blanco and Stargate, and even Stargate can't make this production very interesting.
Now, "Uh Huh", is definitely more interesting, for lack of a better word. It's like a country-influenced pop ballad turned up to the highest levels of camp; the bass hits hard, the production can be almost dissonant at times, and Julia sounds far more squeaky than anywhere else on this EP. Take the chorus, for example: "Uh Huh, I think you're moving in to close, but I think it's my body wanting it the most". This line isn't particularly interesting, but she makes it unique just by her delivery alone. This is definitely her most distinctive song, and it's definitely grown on me, but I'm still not in love with it.
"Worst In Me" is probably the best song. The percussion is pretty interesting and the lyrics are pretty good; they seem very personal and confessional, and they aren't as clunky as Julia can sometimes get. The whole tone of the song is somber, even though it gets upbeat. The post-chorus is really nice; just simple vocalizations. Julia's voice is less distinctive in this one but that's not necessarily a bad thing... This song isn't too interesting but it's not bad.
"Make it Up to You" has a pretty interesting beat, with some vocal chops used creatively. That's not to say that it's particularly good, but at least it's not generic. Other than the beat, this really reminds me of a HAIM song; the chorus is chanted in a very similar manner. The lyrics aren't great; this one, in particular, makes me cringe: "I used to ruin good things, like that time with your friends". She tries to hard to be mundane, sometimes. Overall, this song is just straight up forgettable.
"Just Do It" is extremely vanilla. It sounds dated somehow, and the production is boring. The chorus is underwhelming and there's really not much at all to say about this song...
"Pink" is bizzare. That's the best way to describe it. It sounds pretty vanilla at the start, but then the chorus comes... The prechorus is so extremely uncomfortable, as Julia whispers "There's no innunedos, it's exactly what you think / believe me when I tell you that he loves the color pink", then makes this sound that just seems like she stubbed her toe. The chorus itself is actually pretty nice sounding; it's just some very heavy synths layered over her breathing, which is a pretty nice sound, but the rest of the song is just too weird; the boring verses and the strange pre-choruses.
"Don't Wanna Think" is a piano ballad no one asked for. The lyrics are rather charming ("I'm not really one for drinking songs, but, I guess that I should probably write one, cuz, I'm feeling pretty lonely", but Julia's voice is as squeaky as ever and it sounds like she actually sobs a little bit during the chorus. It's rather forgettable and it lacks the emotional staying power of other ballads.
Overall, I'm not impressed. For the most part, this album is just forgettable, and the songs that I can actually remember are for all of the wrong reasons (take Pink, for example). I'm not very excited at all for Julia Micheals' debut album whenever that comes, and I think that perhaps she should stick to songwriting for other people; her signature songwriting isn't even good enough to save this EP.
Final Verdict:
40/100
Favorite Track: Worst In Me
Least Favorite Track : Pink
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