Album Review: BOLDEN. Puts Listeners Under an Enchanting Spell With Their Album Would appear to be jazz.

After years of lingering on the margins of house music, jazz house finally reached its zenith in 2025 as it captured attention from various corners of the internet. One of the names that are comfortably seated in the forefront of the genre is the duo BOLDEN. comprised of Catherine Rannus and Reuben Barrett. A few days ago they unveiled their immersive new album, Would appear to be jazz and life couldn't be better.

orrowing its name from a phrase in Catherine's university dissertation on gender inequality in music, this seven-track journey finds the sweet spot between groove-soaked jazz-house and thoughtful reflection. It’s more than a record—it’s a statement on who gets to shape the narrative of jazz, carving out room for fresh voices, untold stories, and a wider lens on what the genre can grow into.

Originating from the UK’s underground music scene, BOLDEN. is a modern jazz-house duo formed by multi-instrumentalists Reuben Barrett and Catherine Rannus. In the space of a year, their style of elegant, yet dreamy jazz house has garnered over 50 million total streams, and the pair continues to sell out shows in the UK. It's crazy to think that BOLDEN. is just getting started, and they're cementing this stellar run with not only a cohesive body of work, but also a tour across Canada, the UK, Europe, and the U.S.

Usually, when we are acquainted with jazz house, it tends to be primarily about the mood and the ambiance. However, BOLDEN.'s work comes with an added layer of substance. This is apparent on the opening track "Would appear to be jazz" as the vocals shed a light on the inequalities lingering in the jazz scene, particularly faced by women. This is contrasted by a hopeful instrumental that is brought to life by the cries of a saxophone floating across the mix.

“The central theme of the album is the ongoing underrepresentation of women in certain areas of the music industry," the duo explains. "Catherine wrote her dissertation on this topic over 20 years ago, and while there has been some progress since then, there’s still a long way to go. This theme comes through most explicitly on the track Would Appear to Be Jazz, which includes a direct quote from her dissertation. We wanted to spotlight this issue—but it also extends to ‘Where Are Our Voices,’ a track that speaks more broadly to the sense many people share of not being heard in today’s society."

The track "Cold nights and city bike rides" with Oliver Rees also serves as one of the deeper moments in the album. Oliver's verses straddle a fine line between melancholic and reflective, which ironically offer a sense of comfort should we find ourselves in a hopeless headspace. The presence of glistening pianos and the airy flute lifts the track into a dreamlike realm, softening its heaviness with moments of light.

What makes Would Appear to Be Jazz so compelling is its ability to deliver tasteful contrasts that resonate across the emotional spectrum. Within moments, it can shift from joy to introspection, offering a listening experience that feels both versatile and deeply human.