PEARL & THE OYSTERS, MONKEY MIND

Pearl & The Oysters are the duo of Juliette Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack, who met as teenagers in Paris and have been making music together ever since. Both come from musical families and studied music formally, developing a deep understanding of theory, composition, and jazz. Together, the duo’s project grew out of a desire to move away from the rigidity of their studies towards something more playful, intuitive, and rooted in pop.

“We do intend for the music to be as fun and accessible. We love pop music. We love pop songs. There are no limits to how poppy a song can be. We’re into catchy, so it’s a lot of fun.” — Juliette Pearl Davis

For as long as they can remember, the two have been enamored with The Great American Songbook, chasing what they’ve long described as the perfect pop song, something catchy, timeless, and accessible. On Monkey Mind, the duo’s sixth album, there’s a clear love for melody as they blend pop, jazz, bossa nova, and synth pop. They draw from influences as diverse as The Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, Hall & Oates, The Cardigans' First Band on the Moon, and Steely Dan in the arrangements, doing so with a little wink but never slipping into outright imitation.

Beneath the bright, colorful surface of Monkey Mind is an album shaped by anxiety, uncertainty, and the challenge of staying present in a world that constantly pulls you in different directions. The title comes from the Buddhist concept of the “monkey mind,” a restless consciousness that jumps from one thought to another. And yet, despite what are not light topics, the music remains warm, inviting, deeply melodic, and, dare I say, fun. Listening to Monkey Mind, I felt like I was in a time warp, with the opening track “Wide Awake” kicking things off with keyboards that nod to Hall and Oats' "Private Eyes". It put a smile on my face and a bounce in my step, an unexpected feeling from a duo working within a familiar sound.