Canadian singer-songwriter JJ Shiplett breaks open a levee of memories with the music video for his track “All Comes Back To You.” Told through scenes of faded flashbacks and lonely strumming in an empty bar, it paints the picture of fragile young love, with lyrics that are universally relatable.
His sophomore album Fingers Crossed dropped in March 2020, and its stripped down counterpart Crossed Fingers in August, seeing Shiplett become a fan favourite in the Canadiana folk and roots genre. His deeper voice boasts an incredible range, creating a gritty, Eddie Vedder-reminiscent quality. Songs like “Bluejay Highway” and “All Comes Back To You” begin softer and gain momentum, growing into a crescendo of emotion with singular guitar picking. It's a choice quality for a sad love song.
“She was as pretty as the evening sun” opens the acoustic guitar-led melody of “All Comes Back To You.” The music video is set mainly on a stunning deserted terrain at dusk, following two lovers you’re instantly envious of. Shiplett stitches together the story with lyrics about the words unsaid, part-time jobs, getting high on Fridays, and nervously running through a list of things to say. He strums to the background of a crying violin while two kids paint a sleepy town. “That’s what this song is about,” Shiplett says about the track. “Two people trying to find their way through the obstacles of life yet always feeling each other’s pull.” “All Comes Back To You” is about that invisible string, the idea that a person can harness a gravitational pull, regardless of time passed or distance between.
Shiplett has grabbed attention with two CCMA nominations since his debut album Something to Believe In. Riding the momentum of his two new albums, it won't be long before he breaks through to a wider national audience.
