Weird Name, Weird Band (Jahoda Witness - Nojahoda)

Member Name: mccannalex

Product:	Jahoda Witness - Nojahoda
Date:	12/04/02 (85 review reads)
Rating:

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Boy, does this take me back to the good old days of Nojahoda. I spent most of Summer 99 sunbathing in the back garden with this album blaring out of the stereo. It was the biggest perk of being a part-time student at the time.

Anyway I've searched through my Archives on the old PC and found this review for your reading pleasure. Hope you enjoy

******* Nojahoda - Jahoda Witness *********

"Do you Accept Yourself", the first line on the Nojahoda album. Tellingly the second line is a scream of "nooooooooo". This is a band who clearly can't accept themselves, or is it that they just can't accept being pushed into one corner. Jahoda was an ancient philosopher who did experiments to define what made someone "normal" or "abnormal", Nojahoda realise that there is no such thing as normal or abnormal, just being yourself and that makes for an eclectic collection of the best country, rock, hip hop folk in the world.........ever.

The first track after the mad Cypress Hill styled intro is "Therapy". It manages to take a Red Hot Chilli Peppers riff and fuse the essence of prime time Placebo into a meaty blast of guitar rock. A voice recalling Kurt Cobain rather than the British real rock scene such as OCS it manages to fill that gap of rock music that actually has a tune.

The track "Dog" will be featured in next years romantic comedy cinema smash. A country ballad that Witness aim for, the difference being that this has a tune and witness can only dream of one. Its an achingly beautiful ballad and had it been released five years ago it would have been number one for the whole of the summer.

"Most Folks Know" introduces Paul Simons "Call Me Al" to Becks "Loser" and takes them down to a hip hop night for some 90's underground culture. For a band that stand up for the freaks and weirdo's of this world they certainly ha
ve a universalist streak in them, while most British bands are hardly known elsewhere, Nojahoda are a band that could appeal to a wide audience in America, England, Germany and Japan; they are the outsiders made popular.

If I told you that the above tracks were only the first four, that this is the most diverse album of the year and is the only true 90's guitar band, would you believe me, of course not. Then why not buy it and see for yourself. "I'm Tired of losing, and so are you", a snide put down to the other bands this year, maybe / maybe not. Nojahoda are one of this years winners, they have a witness, a Jahoda witness.

Alex McCann

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