Single Review: I Don’t Know How Not To

Recent University of Auckland pop music degree graduate Jenni Smith is here to prove her newfound skill with her single I Don’t Know How Not To. It’s a dreamy number made effective by the driving feeling that this comes straight from the heart.

I Don’t Know How Not To begins as a sparse, gentle ballad, emphasising Smith’s delicate vocals and introducing its heartfelt topic of taking the leap to turn a friendship into a romance. But don’t be deceived by its quiet opening. The song’s production quickly takes off after the first chorus, blossoming into bright, slick instrumentation with simple yet striking harmonies and booming drums. In particular, the smooth guitar licks, in the vein of acts like U2 and Journey, give the track some real energy and power behind each emotive lyric. Although it’s billed as a country-pop track, that stadium rock sound is a clear and effective influence.

Lyrically, Smith is clearly a storyteller inspired by the likes of Taylor Swift and Maisie Peters. Whilst some lines are relatively on the nose, it’s easy to see how plainly spelling out the situation can make the feelings rise up and become all the more relatable to listeners. “We’ve been catching feelings in secret”, she whispers in the dramatic bridge. It’s direct and simple, but perhaps this is Smith’s greatest songwriting strength. 

Jenni Smith’s latest single is undeniably polished. It’s sonically tight, cleanly mixed, and made from clear true passion for the craft. Fans of the genre should most definitely take a listen to this promising track.