Album review (JJ72 in general)

Member Name: gissing

Product:	JJ72 in general
Date:	02/09/00 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: outstanding debut

Disadvantages: 12 tracks isnt enough (greedy!)

Well I dont know about anyone else, but for me, this one of the most eagerly awaited debut albums since Mansuns essential "Attack of the Grey Lantern". This eponymous release comes on the back of hectic touring in the last year, as well as three successful singles: Long Way South, Snow and Oxygen. The latter enjoying some serious airplay and a Top of the Pops appearance for the Dublin band.

Fronted by the excellent Mark Greaney, the energy of the three piece that is JJ72, comes from the youthful exuberance of the three members. Mark, for example is merely 17 years of age, and has only recently finished his schooling. He is backed up by Hilary Woods on bass; blonde, impish and brooding she performs magnificiently, and the bass throughout the album is outstanding. Drummer Fergal Matthews makes up the threesome.

For fact fans, the album was produced by Ian Caple, at the Chipping Norton Studios, and mixed at the fortress & dairy.

Weighing in at 12 tracks, and 45 minutes, the tracklisting, with appropriate comments, follows...



October Swimmer
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The opener is utterly beautiful. Perhaps the strongest track on the album, alongside Algeria, October Swimmer is an immediate, and quite startling introduction to Greaney's falsetto, almost delicate vocals. The emotion in the track is very tangible. It makes you want to close your eyes and bawl out the chorus "I want to be a happy boy/This means you must employ my lies". I know its one of THOSE tracks. It gives me goosebumps. Its that good. Probably the most amazing piece of music written in 2000. Seriously.

"I dont need anyone / And you dont need anyone"

Well I think we probably *need* JJ72 if they carry on like this.


Undercover Angel
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Starting off in an accoustic solo. The vocals, still delicate, kick in with dramatic effect. Although at first glance, this simple
song, with rather simplistic lyrics really kicks in with the chorus, with power chords, and clever chord changes.


Oxygen
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Probably the best known track to most people. The third single to be released from the album (all strangely, before its release). Another excellent sing a long chorus. To try and compare it to other material would be futile. Many others have tried, and I see a different side to the band than most, a more unique side. "You and I / We're going so high / The air is getting thin" Probably refers to their stature if enough people buy this release. Accompanied by a string arrangement, this deserved to do even better than it did. Not quite up to the amazing quality of the opener, but very beautiful nontheless.


Willow
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A quieter start to this track. More accoustic guitarwork, and much deeper vocals. As Mark Greaney's voice increases in pitch, the track comes to life as the strings kick in, and you are drawn the the lyrical content. A lovely little hook line completes this very relaxed, reflective track. A stronger finish, with more excellent strings arranged by Rosie Wetters.

Surrender
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Opening with strange eerie "Oooh ooOhh" noises. A more disjointed track at first, surrender sounds more mainstream than some of the other tracks on here. Once the chorus(?) starts, the vocals sound very much like Paul Vickers from the excellent Dawn of the Replicants. More power choruses and quieter verse sections, still eerie and very much vehicles for Mark Greaneys vocal talent.

Long Way South
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Starting off with almost Seafood clangy guitars. I guess in some ways, the vocals, and song structure is nearest to Placebo than anything, yet remains totally unique. Quite different to much of the other material on this release, an almost sinister edge to this track really differentiates it from the others.



Snow
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One of the other single releases from this album, more almost falsetto vocals. "Why wont it snow / like they said it would / what is it they know" gives a sort of paranoid flood of rock which perhaps tries to capture that awful "Will it snow and get us a day off school?" feeling you get when you were a kid. Erm, they *are* kids... one almost forgets.

Broken Down
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I thought it was my hi-fi they were talking about at first - a mansun-eque 20 seconds of silence, to be greeted with an unaccompanies vocal singing "Pasta Machines broke down / by the weed in the field" Bizarre. Incredible falsetto croonings again by Greaney, and this track becomes a total showcase for his talent once again. A soft track, with very powerful sections where necessary. The sort of track that stick in your head. Minimal guitars, maximum emotional content.

Improv
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A solo, soft, almost lullaby beginning to this track, almost mantra like vocal work. It is no coincidence that much of the album is a showcase, and vehicle for *that* voice. Incredibly high, ever emotive - give this track to someone and they'll probably make their own comparisons; Fergal Sharkey, Brian Molko, Davey Crockett, Thom Yorke. Very good company indeed. Totally accoustic, one has to feel sorry for the drummer and bass player.


Not like you
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Xylophones! Yes, a xylophone intro here, and more accoustic, vocal heavy, backing lite emotional material here. A stop start effort, which perhaps, despite the hooklines and still amazing quality, is the weakest track on the album.


Algeria
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Stunning, I love this track. Even though the rhyming scheme is a little obvious and contrived, this track really has to be heard believed. Its the hookline that does it. Loud chorus of "Spring it dies / Summer arrives / summer dies / autumn arrives / au
tumn dies / winter arrives / forever" The massive guitar fuzz sounds, the overlapping bassline, the vocals... outstanding, and it sticks so emotively in your head.

Bumble Bee
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Last track on the album, and it is one of those albums that makes you sorry to be hearing the last track. You so want it to continue on and on. A quieter track, reflective, yet more powerful sections, and a fine finish to proceedings.



An outstanding achievement from a band so young, so new, and with such grand ideas. For the greater part, they accomplish what many were worried might escape them. They have written a mature, powerful, ever emotional 12 track album which deserves to be in anyones collection. Sigur Ros with louder guitars.

Essential purchase for anyone listening to alternative music, and available for 9.99 right now.

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