If you’ve ever felt like the music you listen to doesn’t cover a wide enough range of topics, you’re in luck. “Do Therapists?” by She Is Jules delves into the oft-considered yet rarely spoken question: Does my therapist need therapy? She Is Jules spills a variety of lyrics probing the situational irony of feeling bad for your therapist just for having to listen to your problems. To some, this might seem like a gratuitous concern, but those who get it, get it. It’s catchy, relatable, well-performed, and ultimately, cathartic.
It starts with a plucky synth gently arpeggiating through a chord progression. She Is Jules hums along, giving us a hint of her smooth, warm tone. She begins the verse: “Do therapists see therapists / ‘Cause that’s a lot to hold? / Do baristas go to coffee shops / ‘Cause there’s is getting old?” The lyrical pattern unfolds pretty much immediately, putting the dichotomy of consuming/producing services on full display. The verses continue like this, with increasingly thought-provoking examples.
The chorus bursts forward with a low piano chord and a wash of harmonies, which, by the later choruses, graduates to an electronic drum groove and some rumbling bass. The lyrics are a bit more self-reflective, detailing more personal struggles instead of the generalizations in the verse. It’s a good juxtaposition, as we get to see inside She Is Jules’s world on a more intimate level periodically. With that said, the songwriting is truly clever, and allows the listener, in just one song, to glean She Is Jules’s musical character.
Written by Alyce Lindberg