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Nashville, Tennessee’s Katy Kirby sings like she knows a lot more than she lets on. “Juniper” sways with simple lyrics and a warm instrumental. It recalls the Randy Newman influenced songwriting of Andy Shauf, building a nostalgic narrative around a commanding _“you_”.

The song is led in by a faraway guitar, an overture whose slight feedback sits behind the rest of the song. Each instrument calls out to the others and responds, like the moving bass-line of the second verse and the interjections of what might be a glockenspiel. Kirby’s voice expresses her words clearly and the melody coats her lyrics in moods and themes. “The difference between lightning rain and thunder,” followed by the mini refrain of the word “thunder” casts a spooky light on the upbeat song. The line “it never leaves” cycles again and again, building the tension into the last chorus and putting a cap on the short song. It’s an expertly crafted pop song that pulls on a memory that you can’t ever seem to place.

Cereal Pairing: Captain Crunch