Tuesday, March 22, 2005
today probably won't be the day
J.C. and Anphibius: "Maybe Perhapsman"
J.C. and Anphibius: "Cryptic Clue"
In 2002 I reviewed Deathbed Recollections, the first record by J.C. and his musical companion Anphibius, for DOA. I thought it was pretty good, but didn’t go nuts over it, or anything. I was recently sent a copy of their new album, Resurrection Jingles, and again, while not excellent, it’s a good bit better than its predecessor. J.C.’s still playing the melancholy crooner role, and still aspires to be the singular union of Cohen, Drake, and Hazelwood. Anphibius has come up with a better batch of songs than last time, however; the melodies are more memorable, the textures and instrumentation more varied. Fitting with the rebirth theme implied by the title, J.C. seems to have perked up some since the first record, as not every song sounds like the wee hour moping of a wine-drunk washout. Even when J.C. tries to be optimistic, though, as on the upbeat “Maybe Perhapsman”, he has a hell of a time convincing himself that things could work out for him. The line “is it too good to be true”, from “Cryptic Clue: Shotgun Ends My Life on Happiest Day”, encapsulates J.C.’s tenuous belief in his own good fortune, which is probably the record’s dominant theme. J.C.’s persona can come off too much like schtick at times, and occasionally the music and lyrics veer too close to pure schmaltz, but for the most part Resurrection Jingles is a perfectly fine album.
You can buy a copy of Resurrection Jingles from J.C. and Anphibius's website.
J.C. and Anphibius: "Maybe Perhapsman"
J.C. and Anphibius: "Cryptic Clue"
In 2002 I reviewed Deathbed Recollections, the first record by J.C. and his musical companion Anphibius, for DOA. I thought it was pretty good, but didn’t go nuts over it, or anything. I was recently sent a copy of their new album, Resurrection Jingles, and again, while not excellent, it’s a good bit better than its predecessor. J.C.’s still playing the melancholy crooner role, and still aspires to be the singular union of Cohen, Drake, and Hazelwood. Anphibius has come up with a better batch of songs than last time, however; the melodies are more memorable, the textures and instrumentation more varied. Fitting with the rebirth theme implied by the title, J.C. seems to have perked up some since the first record, as not every song sounds like the wee hour moping of a wine-drunk washout. Even when J.C. tries to be optimistic, though, as on the upbeat “Maybe Perhapsman”, he has a hell of a time convincing himself that things could work out for him. The line “is it too good to be true”, from “Cryptic Clue: Shotgun Ends My Life on Happiest Day”, encapsulates J.C.’s tenuous belief in his own good fortune, which is probably the record’s dominant theme. J.C.’s persona can come off too much like schtick at times, and occasionally the music and lyrics veer too close to pure schmaltz, but for the most part Resurrection Jingles is a perfectly fine album.
You can buy a copy of Resurrection Jingles from J.C. and Anphibius's website.
