PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH!
I've listened to Janice Doll new songs ...
Here are my impressions:
By Giselly Greene
“Leave the Future Behind” Album Reviewed
Reducing a band to only a single word can be an enormous cruelty (or injustice, or criticism of a bitter reviewer, or laziness etc…), but not in this case and respecting all the good feelings that are pulled out of each blessed person who decides to listen to this band.
But the truth is that “punch” seems to be the keyword to symbolize the Janice Doll Band.
So, after the performatic awkwardness of the excellent Dresden Dolls, or the makeup audacity of the New York Dolls and the rapidity of the Toy Dolls (so many dolls!), it is arrived the time for the Janice Doll, a colossal BAND formed in 2002 that already released two albums. Both of them ( “Silent Seasons ” and “Leave the Future Behind ”) exaggerate on the use of new metal heavy rock formula (yes, however, who could say that the already notorious nü-metal could some day produce something notable, huh) and even though they still manage to be distinguished as one of the most intriguing musical formations that have recently emerged.
The most cynical reviewers can affirm that the band doesn’t bring anything new, that their success depends on the taste of the great public for more of the same or that anyone that makes noise can succeed in shaking auditoriums of different types. However, with vocals cried out, nervous, exciting lyrics and a sound that seems familiar even if it is unique and nothing else is necessary, much less to run away from a “formula” that it has been working so well. If the already “old” well-known representative of the new metal as Korn and Slipknot weren’t so repetitive they could have made songs like. It doesn’t mean the Janice Doll Band has any similarity with these above-mentioned ones.
No, they are not in the same group of a Smashing Pumpkins, or a Placebo, of a QotSA, as it already has been repeated about them. In common with the crazy guys of the new metal they have the bittersweet instrumental variations and the rapcore vocals, but not sung of that obnoxious skill of (argh) the Limp Bizkit, and not during the entire music, but only in some segments, and in a way more mod, the truth must be said again and again. For those who adore labels, it can be said that their style is a Mod-Hardcore - from where it must have appeared the Modern Alternative auto-label.
Absurdly electrifying sound, explosion on the ears, totally hallucinated, melodic, noisy; everything is mixed in a pleasant-sounding sound that seems to never tire you out. Ta-dah! That's it! The not-formula used in these two records of the vibrant and energetic career of the Janice Doll Band.
This carefully made CD “Leave the future behind” is packed of songs that soon conquer the listener since the first listening as it is the case of “Tomorrow Never Ends”, glorious rocket that starts with chords that resembles Iron Maiden, moving to a calm vocal, that soon becomes aggressive and they take us to the chorus-phrase that entitle the song. Simple and perfect.
The opening track, “Shine in the Sunlight” starts with a drums solo, the kind “frighten-neighbors” (only the ones who have bad-taste, the old fashioned neighboring type) and soon enters the other instruments and also the voice, giving the same tone of urgency heard in “Backfire”, that remembers Nine Inch Nails, it remembers Street Bulldogs, it remembers Ocean Colour Scene, it remembers so much good things…
“Self Defense”, with a kind of The Strokes lyrics, is to be heard with lights off, and letting yourself to the will to make an air guitar performance at the end. It makes us to gain our day.
The track that entitles the CD brings not motivated lyrics, almost mallcore, but without the emo litany that made famous the style. We still have the morphologic noise that fills all the record and more weight, weight, weight, crazy guitars, powerful vocals, half broken drums , it is impossible to be better.
It is difficult to, at least, point out the best songs in this record. To have an idea, the number of times that one repeats “Wow!” while listening to this record must be in a average of 20 per minute.
“Breath” is the more rapcore track and, and not to leave any doubt, at the end we can hear a fast performance that seems to be a DJ manipulating a pickup.
“Morning Drive” is the face of the band, and perhaps this is the reason it repeats the very same existing elements in the other tracks. But remember yourself that this would only be a problem if the other ones were not excellent. The lyrics are drowning in a desperation that passes kilometers distant of the fake wave, but certainly it will please the emos, as well as it will please everybody. Even not having the vocals almost spilled of “Overdramatic” (from the first album), a characteristic that I don’t understand why it still pleases some after-adolescents in such a way.
Another track that follows this same line is “Lestat”, that is still more deprived of hope and more cutting. It’s my third favorite in this album (being, the first “Tomorrow Never Ends” and the second “Self Defense”). It starts like a pure Led Zeppelin (or Metallica, depending on who remembers) and in less than thirty second it passes to … My Chemical Romance! Yes, and this is not a pinprick, because the MCR has their qualities and doesn’t deserve the kicks they’ve been receiving since they started to make success. The fury, the overflow of emotions, everything still falls very well in rock'n'roll, it is enough that one knows how to join everything in a consistent package
In addition, a sticky chorus, cried out to the limit as “I Got Youuuu” couldn’t result in another type of gis-analogy. Ah, OK, perhaps it could (Snow Patrol? Arcade Fire? A turbo British Sea Power? Oh, let me wander…), but certainly not today.
“Memories” has the most interesting lyrics of the album. There are so many sections to stress that I would have to mention all the lyrics, but verses as “You impressed me, made me feel alone” and “No mistakes and no one to blame” really doesn’t them instigate us, or this is only in my head? Well, also the guitar riffs at the end are outstanding.
“Butterflies” is like this, pretty and peaceful, though it is noisy (killing riffs, respectable adherence), echoes of Bowie, more specifically of the wonderful “Something in the Air”. And like this song did, it could be the sonorous track of a terrific movie. The lyrics retake the lost hope, on the opposition to the others tracks, and it closes the album very well. This is a record that, like the first one, doesn’t allow you to breathe.
It is as I never say, it doesn’t lack bands with good influences, but few of them (especially those with more time on the road) know how to combine the good heard sounds to make quality music. This is what Janice Doll makes superbly. They do not only use their inspiring influences favor of heavier sounds (a mission that is, by itself, already difficult), as well as they handle these same references to create their own sounds, with their artistic touch.
Finally, I leave a message for those who had not yet waked up: Both albums are available, with full records you can download for free at the site of the band I highly recommend: http://www.janicedoll.com). They also can be found at www.myspace.com/janicedollband ).
