One might as well forget all one knows of
the Jazz June up to this point, as it hardly seems to be the same band. While predominately indie rock in nature with singer/guitarist Andrew Low's vocals still recognizable, beyond that there's not much with which to compare to past works. There is a good flow of energy on tunes such as "These Pills Won't Calm Your Nerves," while other tracks like "Red Bank Blues" slow things down quite a bit with a welcome degree of introspection. One minor detraction would be the few tracks ("Dual Symmetry," "Benny Clarks Can," "The Submarine Song") which seemingly serve not only as filler, but annoying filler at that. It can be wearisome to listen to distraught guitar patterns repeating and not living up to the level of merit displayed on the rest of the album. Nevertheless, with obvious influences including material such as
Can,
Wire, and reggae music, this Pennsylvania foursome has pieced together an album of 13 songs that show a band in constant evolution. And while they're evolving,
the Jazz June do so with fluidity and style, proving that their involvement with the emo scene was just one step in what is hopefully an all-around successful career. ~ Kurt Morris