On the surface, Pearl & The Oysters (the brainchild of Juliette Pearl Davis [Juju] and Joachim Polack [Jojo]) could be described as a breezy indie pop band. But a closer listen surfaces the complexity and intentionality in their songwriting. From music school in Paris to making records in Los Angeles, Juju and Jojo have stayed loyal to their love of jazz. While it’s a bit less obvious on their latest space-aged LP Planet Pearl, the jazz-inspired arrangements can still be heard throughout the synthscapes and bleeps and bloops of the feel-good album. The duo wrote the record from perspective of a space-dwelling castaway exploring Earth, but it touches on very human topics like mental health and the state of the world.

There are few bands with as much chemistry as Pearl & The Oysters. It can be heard on every piece of work the duo has released, but becomes even more apparent when watching them live. Watch the band perform “Big Time,” “Side Quest” and “Pacific Ave” live at WNXP’s Sonic Cathedral here.