New York-raised and California-based artist Dora Jar has been a rising sensation in the bedroom pop scene these past few years. Jar’s debut EP “Digital Meadow” was a very promising start to her music career, and her second EP “Comfortably In Pain earned her comparisons to Faye Webster and St. Vincent.

Jar released a new debut album cut titled “Ragdoll” in August of this year. The track starts off with a soothing acoustic guitar riff which sets the scene for what listeners may expect will be a laid-back pop ballad. The track however takes the listener by surprise when it takes a more upbeat turn with Jar’s captivating vocals and a fast-paced beat coupled with powerful synthetic sounds. The production is of an extremely high quality, with the song still retaining an authentic and DIY aura, staying true to its genre. The melody is catchy throughout, and the lyrics are very effective at transmitting Jar’s feelings of powerlessness and lack of control in life. The lyrics “throw me like a ragdoll” and “hold me like a ragdoll” that repeat throughout the song particularly emphasise this idea of being controlled by external forces. The lyric “heavy little ragdoll” is an oxymoron which suggests that although a typical ragdoll wouldn’t be physically heavy, Jar probably felt that way on an emotional level when writing the track.

Overall, the track has a complex yet effortless quality to it, highlighting Jar’s raw vocal talent, unique songwriting skills and distinct production style all at the same time. I’m looking forward to hear what else Jar has in store with her debut album.