The Juliana Theory

Item: Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat
Author: Peter Veness

Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat

(2005)

Reviewed by Peter Veness

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Label Abacus RecordingsDecapolisSeptember 2005

alternative rock emo

There's something about the idea of the deadbeat sweetheartbeat, the last breath is also the breath of love, the eternal beat. It's these bigger themes, as always, that The Juliana Theory tap on their fifth LP Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat.

This is without doubt a consolidated Juliana; they have cast off anything even remotely superfluous and have delivered a detailed study in rock'n'roll that hands in its findings in just over 40 minutes. Rumours of a 30-minute finale were likely frontman Brett Detar externalising his desire of the day rather than anything serious. Deadbeat sounds like an idea fully realised, the songs sit right and the five-piece play as a unit, eye on the target type stuff that legendary records are made of.

Anything less than their best record to date would have likely put the band to bed, leaving Sony took courage and signing with a credible yet small indie took even more.

This is the first time they've released two studio records with the same lineup and it shows, drummer Josh Walters was always accomplished but sounded a little too bullish for the sweetness of Detar and Josh Kosker's melodies during the pop moments of Love - here he is resplendent and spot on at every moment, lock in step with rhythm partner Chad Alan.

Listen to the pair on My Heart is a Soldier, they're toe tapping, head nodding and so much more. Lead guitarist Josh Fiedler is stunning as he always has been but there's more here this time, he has always known how to build and fade songs but it's the concentrated riffs and subtle changes that mark Fiedler as set apart, as frankly amazing.

Lyrically Detar leaves some of the rules of life structure he used on Love but there's more narrative. Take Love You To Death, as always with the enigmatic frontman there will be the grasping by fans at what he might really be saying but it never was his desire to have everyone on the same page when reading his almost poetry.

The sneering This Valentine Aint No Saint reminds at once of To The Tune of 5000 Screaming Children but it's both thematically denser and more metal than punk unlike it's predecessor. But when they might have lost any hint of their roots there's the quintessential pop-punk opening riff of 10,000 Questions, it's essentially melodic rock but with a heap more sophistication than most.

Love was often a heaving dose of hard rock, tracks like Congratulations weren't meant for the faint of heart and you go through Deadbeat with less sonic confrontation than the band have poured out in the past. That's until the quick, quick and now run you out of town of French Kiss Off. It roars and roils like the drug addict Detar screams of, not to forget the best backing vocals Josh Kosker has ever put to disc. There's a secret portion, the sweetheartbeat if you will, but it's better heard than read.

3.5/4