Sometimes when I’m reviewing music, I catch myself thinking, “This is so much better than what’s on mainstream radio. Why isn’t it a hit?”
I’m not in the business of scouting talent, so I don’t have the answers the music industry has. But I’ve had that exact thought while listening to Jessica Breanne, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter who just released her new record, Electric Heart on October 16th.
Her 2021 album Rosebud Queen, put out on the excellent Perpetual Doom label, first put her on my radar. Since then, I’ve been struck by her voice: deep, soulful, and capable of leaping octaves with ease.
It’s the kind of voice that feels pulled straight from the soul, erupting into powerful wails that bring even the great Janis Joplin to mind (and I don’t make that comparison lightly). Take “Over the Bayou” from Electric Heart. The vocals shake the song to its core, making you stop whatever you’re doing and listen closer. Please listen to the song and tell me I’m wrong.
Let’s dig into some more background about Jessica and the new record …
She is best known as the former frontwoman of the rock band The Electric Hearts. Jessica has built a reputation for turning vulnerability into strength, crafting songs that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Her new album, Electric Heart, borrows its name from her old band but reclaims it as a symbol of the fire that drives her songwriting and the self-fulfillment she finds in music.
Where Rosebud Queen unfolded around a cohesive theme, Electric Heart is more expansive, drawing on diverse moments and emotional landscapes to create a rich tapestry of Jessica’s experiences and reflections.
The record showcases Breanne’s uncontainable voice across Southern rock riffs, swirling psychedelic synths, and piano flourishes. Lyrically, she explores the fear and hunger of modern womanhood, the struggle to break free from destructive cycles, and the quiet determination to keep making art through sadness and setbacks.
Produced by Breanne and longtime collaborator Jake Davis, Electric Heart features contributions from some of Nashville’s most accomplished players, including bassist Jack Lawrence, guitarist Sean Thompson, and keyboardist Jo Schornikow.
With Breanne writing every track and shaping the album’s sonic direction, the result is a confident, refined collection that bridges vintage pop, Southern rock, and folk, an assured step forward in her ever-evolving body of work.
The record truly lives up to its title. It’s electric from start to finish.
Among the many standouts, “Humble Pie” is among my favorites. Jessica’s voice soars here, raw and untamed, matched by a powerhouse backing band: John Fox and Grant Gustafson trading guitar lines, Cory Hinson on bass, T. Minton driving the rhythm on drums, and Jo Schornikow weaving piano through the mix.
“Take a slice of humble pie,” Jessica urges, “the taste will do you good.” It’s a line that is a sharp reminder in an era saturated with social media self-promotion and curated perfection.
Another highlight, “Time Waits for No Woman,” distills the album’s themes of strength, clarity, and the realities of modern womanhood. “Being around you is like I’m wasting my life,” Jessica sings. Whoever the song is directed toward, the message is universal. Time is too precious to waste on what holds us back.
“Generational Cycle” stands out as a haunting meditation, wrapped in Southern Gothic tones, that confronts the inherited pain so many of us carry. “How long will the cycle go on?” Jessica asks, before singing the reflection: “They were just prisoners of their minds.”
As the track ends, she offers a declaration of her own: the cycle ends with her. It’s a moment of bold resolve, and for anyone who has ever wrestled with generational trauma, it hits hard.
I also love the closer, “Die A Dreamer.” “Please don’t let me be swallowed up in the sadness,” Jessica pleads, before delivering the refrain: “Please let me die a dreamer.” It’s a line that feels especially resonant today, in a world that often feels heavy and unkind. Her words capture the stubborn hope so many of us cling to, the belief that even in darkness, it’s worth holding on to our dreams.
With Electric Heart, Jessica Breanne has created a record that defies easy categorization. Call it singer-songwriter, call it Southern rock, call it whatever you want. At its core, it’s simply powerful music.
The music industry gatekeepers may overlook it, but that only underscores how out of touch they are.
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