Digipak analysis - Jonquil Lions

 Digipak analysis - Jonquil Lions

 When looking at the digipak to Jonquil - lions one notices the distinct minimalist art style present on the cover. Said cover features abstract artwork which consists of a moose and a bear shaped object which conveys the look of surrealist artwork of the 20th century. This as a result could present the artist a being cultured or perhaps convey a vintage classical look; this is further implied by the bands name Jonquil which derives from the Narcissus jonquilla a certain type of flower and the word Jonquil which is used to describe a certain hue of yellow. One may argue that the band is attempting to be sold as sort of artistic based on this information further more by basing both the bands name on a flower and employing the use of nooses on their artwork, this presents the band with a nature image or possible motif and thus takes on elements we may associate with nature such as calmness and serenity; this may evidence the type of music the band tends to feature.

One must also take in account the significance of the lack of the artists face on the album. Lions is the groups second album therefore the group should have at least dedicated audience following and therefore wouldn't need to rely on artist promotion as much as other debut artists.

In terms of type for the title of the cover Jonquil Lions is written in a handwritten brush script, once again conveying the appearance of a vintage or older look. Furthermore, this handwritten script emphasises a classical folk style. This folk style can also be seen in the colour palette of the digipaks artwork; it employs muted colours which reflect the colours found in nature and conveys the nature look of the band.

When looking at the back cover of the digipak one notices a lack of bar code . This may connote a more "mixtape" look than a commercial product to the digipak, it makes the album seem like it was produced for distribution among friends rather than mass production by a corporate entity. This as a result make the album itself look more "home made" which can be appealing to some.

Inside the digipak, one notices the use of hand drawn graphics and doodle art such as the crudely drawn stars and the crest or coat of arms seen within the digipak. The use of doodle art further conveys a personal look to the digipak; it seems more original as if this was personally made for the buyer rather than a reproduction of countless copies. Moreover, the use of a house sigil or coat of arms like graphic may connote the band as being traditional in their sounds; i.e how they record and produce their music may reflect more traditional equipment rather than a large recording studio. In addition the crudeness of the drawing conveys a youth quality to the digipak; the drawing seems like something a child or teen would draw in a desk. This may convey the artists age and also convey the bands unity as a group since coat of arms would reflect a group or clans status.

After further inspection of the digipak one notices on one of the portions of the inside of the digipak the message "recorded mixed and produced by Hugo Manuel". This message further explores the personal look; it paints an image in the readers mind of a Teen just playing around with different sounds at home. The message makes the digipak feel as if the artist is talking to you directly.

This more personal look can also be found on the booklet that comes with the album. In the image above one notices the handwritten type and the use of scratched out words left within the notes to show human error. This handwritten type and frantic layout of the booklet presents the booklet itself as note or diary full of scribbles which further conveys a more personal look but also an indie look to the digipak and artist; the work looks less cooperate and as a result some would say makes the band seem more friendlier and approachable to audiences. The artist seems like a friend or neighbor you know and trust rather than a faceless corporate entity.

On one of the sections of the digipak one can find the artists URL at the bottom of the digipak. This could connote that the artists could be young since they have their own social networking site not only this but the site in particular is my space, which according to this graph features a large audience share in both male and females aged around 18-24.Moreover, Myspace has recently had a shift in there role as a social networking focusing more on music and artist promotion, this therefore evidences the artists young image by using newer social networking tools to promote their image furthermore one could suggest that although they are young they are simply using the vintage look as their sort of USP or artist image rather than the vintage look reflect their age.

Finally within the jewel casing of the digipak one notices a crude bear illustration in the CD case. The bear illustration is reminiscent of classical etchings or illustrations that can be found in classic children's books such as Alice In Wonderland. These illustrations convey a calm and childlike look and feeling to the bands image, additionally it also presents the bands youth.