Jules Renner - “Other Versions”

Jules Renner finds her way onto our blog with “Other Versions,” a remarkable indie folk tune about questioning your direction in this world.

Accompanied by a softly played acoustic guitar, Renner wastes no time, immediately hitting the listener with lyrics that describe the dilemma of choosing the correct path in life. Her voice is very delicate, hitting all the perfect notes, and untarnished by modern production magic. This results in some fantastic, honest storytelling and every listener is bound to feel like she is speaking directly to them.

But the place where Renner has completely won us over is at the chorus. Although it is still just a guitar and vocals at this point, she has added a harmony and completely flipped the melody, resulting in a serious dynamic shift that cannot be ignored. The subject matter is also quite fascinating in the way that it explores the idea of of alternate universes, alternate selves, and alternate versions of happiness.

On the second verse, the acoustic guitar is more direct with its technique and a harmony joins on the back half, guided by the notes from the arrival of an electric guitar. This elevation results in a more flavorsome production, but it also requires that the second chorus be much wider than the first, which is very well executed. And after this lovely crescendo, the song glides back down into the same sparseness that we heard at its beginning.

About “Other Versions,” Renner adds that the song is also about “regretting decisions, wondering whether you should have gone a different direction at certain crossroads at certain times in your life. It's about feeling lost, not knowing your way forward, and having your imagination run wild about what could have been or what could be. I think it's quite a universal feeling, and I put this feeling into the specific context of my life.”

As you might know, we are big fans of music that makes you look inward, and it simply does not get much more introspective than “Other Versions.”

-TM