†Priscilla†

iTunes Review

Detroit singer/songwriter, producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Christian Berishaj went by Snowhite in the power-pop band Love Arcade. In 2010, he was known as Christian TV. Now Berishaj’s debut album under the JMSN moniker, †Priscilla†, reveals a man curious about the darker intersections of Euro dance and American R&B. Following “Choices”—a curious intro where Berishaj samples phone messages left by disgruntled associates and former friends angered by (and jealous of) his success—“Jameson” drops big, scratchy, Portishead-inspired beats over pillowy grooves and sleepy, soulful singing. In “Alone,” he croons confessionals in a high tenor that floats above layers of spooky ambience in the verses before segueing into an androgynous falsetto in the choruses. He further explores his more wistful vocal style in the standout “Something.” Here, a gripping keyboard melody immediately grapples the listener, luring us into a shadowy realm where gauzy beats fall like avalanches as his ghostly falsetto seeps in, singing along with the keyboard. It closes with the innovatively crafted ballad “Nunca Se Sabra.”