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jj Aims But Misses The Mark |
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Written by KONSTANTIN BEZZUBOV
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Saturday, 21 August 2010 |
The Swedish electronic indie-pop duo of Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander got some big praise last year for their debut LP, which, complete with blood-spattered blue pot leaf on cover, kicked off a frenzy of interest in this "mysterious" band. Now following with another shot at gold not three months later, the breezy lyrics and electro-symphonic backings are in full effect again.
Unfortunately, most of the effort hits nowhere near bull’s eye this time.
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Jj
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"jj no 3"
(Secretly Canadian)
Released March 9, 2010
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The single "Let Go" that I first encountered pre-release got me interested to hear more twisted melodies and butterscotch vocals from Kastlander. It sounded like a take on Yes' "To Be Over" condensed into a three-minute pop tune that smartly mixed in harmonica and various other odds and ends. It still does, but it stands out as one of the very few listenable and gratifying moments on this release. Whether incorporating a grand cascade of strings on "And Now" or pastoral whistling on "Light," it all comes off as a desperate guess to see what sticks. Each eclectic touch sounds good on its own, but not in combination with the other sounds competing for attention.
"Let Go," "Golden Virginia" and "No Escapin' This" show what the band could achieve if they skip the pretense of heady ideas that only murk things up here. JJ can bring together electronics, soft melodies and sweet singing well if they keep it simple and progress at a natural pace; a rule they threw into the trash with their remaining six numbers.
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