Jahn Dough Flourishes on New Album 'The Garden Project'
With two successful singles this year in “G-Wagon” and “Tuff Luv,” respectively, Jahn Dough returns with a fresh new album that’s a breezy ride from start to finish. With a great concept, stellar production, and consistently sharp writing, the Dallas, TX-based artist’s newest effort is a captivating body of work.
The project begins with an interlude, and it delivers the underlying message of the record: “Just as you have a vision for your garden, you should have a vision for your life." The narrator declares this in the album’s intro, "Sunrize." In order to see growth, she encourages listeners to surround themselves with good light. Dough explores the ups and downs of this process on the record.
The second song, “Spell,” is as enthralling as you’d expect. Over incredibly lush production, Dough describes being infatuated with someone to a fault. “If I can only tell how she got in me a spell/She did it so well,” he sings smoothly over soothing background vocals. LV lends a wonderful verse, singing passionately about a thriving relationship and her willingness to protect it. The next track, “steve HIGHtower,” is a funky, upbeat number with a powerful bassline and triumphant horn section. The narrator returns, noting that “Your mind is truly a garden and the thoughts are the seeds.”
The melodic groove of “Tuff Luv” and the cool but measured lyrical approaches on “What U Like” are earworms that help maintain the exceptional pacing of the record. Rap veteran Dizzy Wright glides effortlessly on the latter, sounding at home on the smooth instrumental. The next song, “Hazy,” is a quick departure sonically. The production is much darker, but it complements LA legend The Game's verse really well. “Let the opps fall to they knees,” he raps with brashness. Dough shows “Gratitude” on the following track, appreciating things as abstract as nature and as close to home as his family. He also appreciates freedom and mourns for those who don’t have it, saying “Free my dogs from them cages!” with profound sadness.
Dough’s garden theme further connects as the album proceeds. “Don’t lose sight of your vision or your essence,” he reminds us on “OneSelf.” He navigates personal trauma in the context of his relationship on “Still Around,” the project’s penultimate track. The last song, “Sundown,” is a brightspot to close the record. More than seven minutes in length, the production is euphoric and Dough moves across it with ease. He proclaims that, “In my garden, I just want peace.” That could very well be the key to unlock what he's been searching for.
Stream “The Garden Project” below.