Irish band JJ72 came to me as a highly recommended suggestion. With little more than the promise of entertainment, I picked up the album very inexpensively. I was immediately drawn into the indie pop-rock feel and absolutely enchanted by the truly memorable songs.
JJ72 formed in 1997 as a trio featuring Mark Greaney (vocals, guitar), Fergal Matthews (drums), and Hilary Woods (bass). The trio released just two albums before Woods departed in February 2003. But in the span of just a few years they were able to accomplish something that most bands are never able to…musical greatness. But the trip they took was brief, so short in fact that most unfortunate Americans have never been awarded the opportunity to hear the Dublin-based trio.
Even more impressive was the fact that the band was very young at the time of the eponymous 2000 release. All three in fact were born in 1980. You do the math. The music on the other hand was much, much more mature than their years would have you think. JJ72’s debut had no fewer than three top 30 hit singles in the UK. With success neatly tucked away in their black pants pockets, the band returned to the studio and recorded and released their popular followup I To Sky.
Even though that second album was relatively impressive, I find myself drifting back to the self-titled 2000 debut. JJ72 sound free, emotional, and even naïve throughout much of this disc much as a result of Greaney’s angst ridden growls. The lyrics are at times silly, at times prophetic but always on point and entertaining. They are above all other things a rock and roll act, the nature of which falls somewhere in between the top notch guitar music of Suede and Joy Division. This combo works wonderfully, a rare mash of mature and gloriously rousing rock.
This 2000 album was an amazing place in which to begin for the band. While critics were divided on the album’s merits, listeners on the whole were pleased. Simultaneously uneasy, gripping and gently sweeping twelve songs lay down an evocative landscape that greets listeners with a handshake, smile, and coy slap. JJ72 might come off as bubblegum based on appearances, but their music is something real, something concrete, something worth hearing. They sound like old professionals, as though they’ve been making music together for a decade or two rather than the reality of just a few years.
While the album on the whole is damn near perfect, there are a few standout tracks. It is extremely difficult to isolate the variable that makes a few of these songs sound better than the others. Greaney always sounds great; his voice is unique and sparkles with youth. The music itself is equally impressive, both Matthews and Woods seem comfortable with their respective craft.
However consistent the album is overall, there are a few songs that speak most directly to my heart. Undercover Angel for example is a gorgeous track by every definition of the words. It makes me feel, yearn, hurt, touch, love. Even as serious as the song sounds, something about it is inspiring. Much the same thing applies to the equally glorious Willow. Greaney’s delicate voice is perfectly suited to the classically styled arrangement. These two tracks in addition to Not Like You are clearly my favorites, thus leading me to believe that JJ72 most appeals to me when they are slower and darker.
But with that said, there are slightly faster paced songs that prove nearly as equally appealing. Surrender is a moderately more speedy song. But the soul of the track is certainly in line with my other favorites. It’s a heartbreakingly beautiful offering, gorgeously unexpected instruments with a distinctive style. All of the media hype that went along with JJ72 was certainly in line with reality. The band is something new, something different; a creative force unlike that commonly found today.
Snow, October Swimmer, and Algeria are also specifically worth hearing. In addition, Oxygen was a hit single in Britain. Even those songs that went unmentioned are worth hearing, they are definitely more than just filler…I regard them all as icing on the chocolate cake.
There’s so much to be said for the exuberance of youth. JJ72 exemplifies what can be accomplished when such talent has been developed in so few years. This is a memorable, outstanding, truly magnificent album that most seasoned artists would have been incredibly pleased with. JJ72 just happened to throw it together on their first outing.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. October Swimmer
02. Undercover Angel
03. Oxygen
04. Willow
05. Surrender
06. Long Way South
07. Snow
08. Broken Down
09. Improv
10. Not Like You
11. Algeria
12. Bumble Bee
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