Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
Josaleigh Pollett’s February first release, bro’s bad january, feels incorrectly named—at least in my experience. My own little journey last Monday was anything but bad: a chilly morning stroll in pursuit of a carby snack, sipping day-old coffee, watching city birds weave nests from cardboard scraps and discarded condoms. I said as much online.
The album itself stems from a daily songwriting challenge, a practice Josaleigh describes as sometimes “half-assing, quarter-assing,” though you’d never know it from the depth and cohesion of these songs. It feels like Nick Drake meets Lomelda meets some obscure ’70s folk artist meets a depressed millennial. In other words, I loved it.
“In December, I decided that I was going to write a song every day in January to help keep some of the winter blues away, and maybe also make the songwriting process start feeling a little less precious to me,” Josaleigh explains. “It’s such a core part of my routine and my life, but sometimes it can cause me more stress than act as an outlet. So I wanted to keep things really simple for the challenge so that I could put fun and creativity back at the center of writing.” That sense of unguarded creativity shines through—sometimes sparse, sometimes lush, but always intimate. It’s a document of daily reflection, an offering that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant. And at its heart, bro’s bad january carries a quiet defiance.
“I am watching the world erupt into a fearful chaos around myself and people I love right now,” Josaleigh writes on Bandcamp, “I think finding something to add to your daily to-do list that is just for you and just for fun is more important than ever.” This album, dedicated to “my trans siblings in Utah,” is a reminder to carve out space for joy, for expression, for survival—daily—to love in these moments of unknowing and to embrace what we have. I wouldn’t call that bad at all, for bro or anyone else for that matter.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
bro’s bad january is out now.
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Mol White | @molemanmedia | @holymoleman
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