From Fairytales to NYC Streets: Dora Jar’s Debut Album

Pop music is finally fun again.

Dora Jarkowski, known professionally as Dora Jar, may be a fresh face in the music industry, but her musical experience shows. After releasing her first EP in 2021, Jar toured with Billie Eilish and The Neighbourhood, introducing her sound to larger audiences.

On her debut album “No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire,” Jar’s eclectic discography of genres converges into unexpected cohesiveness.

“I think from the start of making music and building projects I’ve enjoyed thinking of it like a funhouse — where I want every room to be radically different but all part of the same house,” Jar said at a °1824 press conference.

In the opening track, “This Is Why” gentle, breathy vocals harmonize with an orchestral composition of acoustic guitar and breezy woodwinds. The result is a mystical tune fit to be a fairytale kingdom’s national anthem.

“Timelapse” takes the album to a place of idealistic escapades. The lyrics are read as a stream of consciousness detailing nights spent wandering New York City, rounded out by an energetic bridge. 

“Don’t stop, jackpot, blacked out, float down / Keep on goin’ like a bubble in a bong / Don’t trip on the cord, this is NYC, step on out,” Jar sings.

“Debbie Darling” is a personification of ever-changing moods. Each verse describes a different feeling, ranging from sorrow to confidence. Jar implements somber piano and gloomy acoustic guitar over affecting vocals to create an intimate reflection. 

“I really like looking out at the crowd during ‘Debbie Darling,’” Jar said. “I feel like people are really giving so much of their heart back to me.”

Refreshingly honest and dreamy, “Ragdoll” brings a lively melody to glistening vocals. The track highlights Jar’s versatility with nonchalant verses crashing into temperamental choruses. 

“I found the melody, and I was playing it so slowly but I was obsessed with it, and then I just kept playing it,” Jar said, referring to how she found her sound for “Ragdoll.” “I’d wake up early in the morning to play it, and then eventually I could play it without messing up.”

“Cannonball” is a psychedelic whirlwind. The choruses are less lyrical, mainly filled with fantastical, folky vocalizations and a placid composition of guitar and piano. 

The album’s titular track is an acoustic pop dream. Invigorating drums swirl around Jar’s voice. The song is a testament to Jar’s storytelling — the song’s playful lyricism shines in an emotional commentary on human nature.

“Fire can sometimes feel like anger, and I think that always underneath anger is some kind of universal sadness that can help our hearts open,” Jar said. “And ultimately we can get out of our own heads and connect to each other.”

“Puppet” is an ode to adventurousness. Jar sings of climbing up scaffolding and ignoring anxieties. The bass is overdriven and unstoppable, and shrill screams elevate the chorus into enraptured chaos. 

“I’ll make it up, you’ll sing along, stuck in our heads / Every moment always hangin’ by a thread,” Jar sings.

Poppy guitar strings open “Behind the Curtain” before dissipating into a curious ensemble of thrashing mechanical noise. Jar choppily enunciates verses brimming with random thoughts.

“I think that my nature is a bit confusing and I feel confused a lot of the time, but I feel now braver to share from that place,” Jar said.

The album’s last two tracks, “Devil Eye” and “Holy Water,” appear polarized due to the nature of the titles — both are soft and acoustic, rounding out the album with moments of serenity. 

“Staring at the stained glass window / Don’t know who I am / Anymore,” Jar sings on “Holy Water.”

“No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire” is a reminder of what pop music should be — fun. While esoteric metaphors sometimes get lost in translation, Jar’s lyricism is sincere and powerful. Filled with joy and passion, it’s an indication of a growing pop renaissance. 

“No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire” is available to stream on all major platforms.