A notice to all readers: I don't want to compare JOA to Cap'n Jazz, older JOA or even The Owls but it will probably come up somewhere along this review so please forgive me if it does.
This album is huge. It's seventeen songs filled with complexity and a wide variety of instruments and musical styles. The booklet that accompanies the album is also huge. It's filled with many variations of art work and lyrics.
I fell in love with Tim Kinsella's singing style and musical direction with Cap'n Jazz but I never got into the older JOA material. I did find myself loving The Owls. When I got the opportunity to hear the new JOA album, I jumped at the chance hoping to hear something new from JOA and giving them another chance and also because they had switched labels (from Jade Tree to Polyvinyl) and I was interested in seeing how it would all come around. (okay...there I am done with what I said about comparing the bands.)
This album is so off the wall and spread out that if you are expecting any type of a to b sound or a straight line album you will be very disappointed. Expect to find yourself sitting down a few times to get through this album. It's very experimental and quirky. It's art. If Pablo Picasso played music he would be in JOA. It's abstract. I've never really heard anything like this. It's very long and drawn out but worth your time.
"Apocalypse Politics" is an acoustic melodrama while the next track "Title Track Of This Album" is an electronic experiment with the lyrics of "Joan Of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain" being said over and over by different people in different speeds and directions. "Deep Rush" could be taken as an electronic dance track but in "Fleshy Jeffery" Tim brings back his old style of vocals ala Cap'n Jazz. My favorite track isn't really a track at all. "The Cash In And Price" is just a bunch of people saying different peoples names and different organizations and by the end of the track everyone is saying "Clear Channel". I am against Clear Channel as well (as are so many independent artists) so I found that pretty rad.
This album will take you on a ride and probably either leave you dumbfounded or inspired.
3.5/4
Similar sounding releases
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