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Bob Boilen | July 10, 2017 — Jay Som is the project of 23-year-old Melina Duterte, who has been creating music for the past 10 years or so on a multitude of instruments, from guitar to trumpet. Though she played every instrument on her newest record Everybody Works, her touring band here at the Tiny Desk gave a rougher edge to some of the more premeditated sounds on her wonderful album.

Of the three songs they chose to bring to the Tiny Desk, one was a personal favorite from Everybody Works: "The Bus Song," which is a perfect swirl of stream-of-consciousness:

Take your time
Won't be long till our car breaks down
Your hands in mine
Feel like a firefighter when I take off your shoes

Before concluding with a thoughtful nod to her partner:

Take time to figure it out
I'll be the one who sticks around
And I just want you to lead me
And I just want you to need me

It's lyrics like this, alongside the comfy, no-frills directness of Duterte's delivery, which make Jay Som feel so welcoming and refreshing.

Everybody Works is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/everybody-works/id1191796223
Spotify: https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Works-Jay-Som/dp/B01NAT4L6M

Setlist
"The Bus Song"
"Baybee"
"I Think You're Alright"

Musicians
Melina Duterte (vocals, guitar); Oliver Pinnell (guitar); Zachary Elsasser (drums); Dylan Allard (bass)

Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Tsering Bista; PA: Jenna Li; Photo: Liam James Doyle/NPR.

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video