Jak Lizard has always been an artist difficult to pin down, and Vulnerable Forms is a good example of why. Moving between indie rock, lo-fi pop, folk, soul and Americana, the album feels refreshingly open-ended, but never aimless. At its core, this is a record about heartbreak, identity and personal growth, with Jak turning deeply personal experiences into something warm, expansive and surprisingly relatable.
‘Good Kid Charlie’ is a standout example of that approach. Starting with little more than acoustic guitar and exposed vocals, the track gradually grows into a bigger, emotionally charged chorus as Jak works through the messiness of a broken relationship. There’s grief and frustration here, but also nostalgia and acceptance, giving the song a sense of emotional movement rather than simply dwelling in its sadness. It’s intimate, catchy and wonderfully human.
That willingness to keep things moving is what makes the rest of Vulnerable Forms so engaging. ‘County Fair’ kicks up the energy with distorted guitars and a distinctly ’90s alternative rock feel, while ‘Crazy Bitch’ takes things somewhere stranger, pairing warped guitar tones with understated grooves and experimental pop textures. These songs sound different, but they never feel like they belong to entirely different records.
There’s a growing pull towards folk and country throughout the album, too, adding another dimension to Jak’s already broad musical palette. His queer perspective naturally informs the emotional storytelling, but it never feels like a boundary around the music. Instead, Vulnerable Forms is ultimately about something much more universal: trying to understand yourself, letting go of what no longer fits and finding the confidence to move forward.
The result is Jak Lizard sounding comfortable with being uncomfortable. Vulnerable Forms doesn’t try to smooth out his eclectic instincts or force them into a neat genre box; it embraces the contradictions. Honest, adventurous and full of personality, it feels like another confident step from an artist who is clearly still figuring things out, and sounding all the better for it.
