5. Dotted line / Juju Man

Dotted line / Juju Man

“Dotted line” comes as a continuation from the end of “Juju Woman” with the engine-like buzzing building up into an impactful bass drop of sorts. This track has a lot of twangy electronic effects and a staccato keyboard behind the ever-present deep bass tones. It’s a rather simple beat, but the deep tone and loud drum hits make this an extremely catchy song. Overall, the lyrics are fairly simple to hear and discern. The background vocals come through especially well and add to the impactfulness of the song. When there aren’t backup vocals, Labrinth riffs on electric guitar, playing with effects and reverb in production. A lot of the time the added vocals aren’t even words, they’re just there to add to the effect, well, effectively. The rest of the vocals repeat parts of the chorus. By parts of the chorus, I mean it could be the last syllable or the last word in a verse. Repetition here doesn’t do much to enhance the meaning of the song, but like the other sounds and vocals, it adds to the effect. The effect I keep mentioning is somewhat eerie, while also giving a sense of power and strength.

The Juju Man approaches a seemingly young man who is trying to “make it” in the world of fame and fortune. Temptations come in the form of manipulative questions: “Ain’t you got a family to feed?/ Ain’t you got a momma to please?” The Juju Man has to know going into this negotiation that the young man must support his family, and any use of someone’s mother in a guilt trip will make a compelling argument (as long as they have a good relationship).

It feels like we’re moving steadily down the street with the negotiator and the young man. I imagine the negotiator with his arm around the young man showing him the wonders of the world and all he could have if he “signs the dotted line.” The loud, reverberating guitar pushes us along followed by snaps and a very consistent beat. If you nod your head along with the song I expect you'll feel like you're going on this strut of a walk as well. This effect is similar to the one achieved in Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar,” where the twangy guitar shuffles us along. The very accurate beat-lyric synchronization in “Dotted line” adds to the methodical steps. The last line in the verses however, is sung on an off-beat, creating a smooth syncopation. This changes up the flow just slightly, but enough to call us back from the comfort of the lined up beats we were getting used to.

The end of the song is someone explaining where to sign on a contract after a deal has been made, but at the last second a demonic voice takes over, saying “and here.” This leads into the next song with another smooth, although somehow abrupt, transition. Labrinth manages to make this transition feel natural even though the two songs don't sound particularly similar in tone, mood, progression, or melody. Of course, it has his unmistakable characteristic beats and bass and echoing vocals, but the bulk of the song and its content isn't reminiscent of “Dotted line / Juju Man” otherwise.

“Dotted line / Juju Man” has so many components all acting at the same time. It is simultaneously uplifting and creepy. It’s in a mainly minor key, but doesn’t always feel like we’re in a minor tone. I appreciate the duality Labrinth succeeds to express in this way. At times it feels as though the instrumentation is major while the vocals remain minor. This is what is really compelling about this track. There are a few more like it on the album, but this is the first song that hits me in this very grounded yet surreal way. Especially the end, I still remember the first time hearing it and being completely covered in goosebumps. There is not a time I listen to this song and don’t get chills by the end. I wish there was a way to recreate the first time hearing a song. Songs like this hold a special place in my musically inclined heart; if you can induce chills every time I listen to a song, even years after hearing it for the first time, you’re doing something right.