JJ72

JJ72
"I TO SKY"
(Lakota, 2002)


Before I go any further, let me say in no uncertain terms that JJ72 are not for everyone. Indeed, with their often cryptic lyrics and the at-first startlingly androgynous voice of lead singer Mark Greaney, this Irish rock band is definitely an acquired taste. You see, several years ago, shortly after their self-titled debut came out, I picked it up on a whim and listened to it several times before eventually trading it in; it had grown on me some, but apparently not quite enough. But while in one of the half-dozen or so music stores I visited on vacation a few weeks back, I picked it up (again on a whim), and something about its familiarity struck a chord with me, prompting me to seek out their 2002 follow-up album as well.

While their debut was largely made up of subdued semi-balladry not unlike early Coldplay, the trio boldened and broadened their sound for their sophomore release, with their fuzzier guitars, thicker bass and heavier drums regularly approaching U2's more arena-like moments. The energetic songs "Always And Forever", "Formulae", and "7th Wave" should appeal to anyone with a taste for early- to mid-'80s Brit-rock like Big Country and the forementioned U2, or even their new-millennium aural descendants like Blur and Travis. Greaney's falsetto might seem odd in the rockier numbers, but it's right at home on the ballads such as "Brother Sleep" and the compellingly atmospheric tracks like "Sinking".

One of the problems with JJ72's first album was that a few of their songs tended to sound the same -- not just similar, but actually borrowing from each other's melodies at points -- and those unfamiliar with the band might come away from this album having the same feeling, but trust me that it's not nearly as much of a problem here. (The track "City" is worth hearing ... it's kind-of like a Radiohead/Keane mash-up.) Neither of JJ72's albums are perfect, but I've come to appreciate them and the band despite their idiosyncrasies. Just remember that, if you do decide to give them a try, you'll need to also give them some time to sink in.

Buy their first album digitally on iTunes
Buy "I To Sky" on CD from Amazon