Let’s start things off super bluntly, June
sounds like Jimmy Eat World and Panic! At the Disco’s
child. It is probably also a safe bet that if you
went through their CD collections you would find at
least a Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral (along with
Taking Back Sunday and Thursday) album or two…
These guys are drawing on every poppy rock band (see
emo-pop) in history. Everything from the Cars to the
aforementioned PatD has been thrown into June’s
musical blender and this is the milkshake that came
out. “Make it Blur” is a smooth and creamy
shake that will please the ears of anyone who is a
fan of Victory Records more recent releases. If there
is one thing there is that Victory Records can do
well is make bands like June sound good and sell well.
What’s surprising is how poor the artwork is
on Make It Blur, it looks like it was done in MS Paint
with a disposable camera.
If you can get past the cover, which should be easy…
look at the bulldog in the back corner, then you will
discover a smooth easily palpable emo-rock band with
all the elements in place. Catchy choruses, call and
answer vocals, soaring moments of blissful melody
and the new requirement keyboards. Hmm… the
band doesn’t have a keyboard player though.
No worries, they just brought in a studio musician.
“Tempter” kind of sounds like a Genesis
song at times, I have no idea why, but that’s
what its verses remind me of. Although it is very
derivative and extremely scene, “Make It Blur”
is a solid outing and should appeal to a scene kid
or four. The Victory logo will sell it 10,000 units
on its own anyways.
If “Make It Blur” was a debut, it would
be understandable, but this is June’s second
album and as such it is mildly disappointing in its
lack of creating its own niche. The songs are solid,
but they don’t do anything to beg for you to
pay attention to it, that might have been alright
5 years ago, but in today’s myspace world, a
band needs to do something to stand out. If you want
another (Jimmy Eat World, Panic! At the Disco, Stairwell,
Thursday, you pick) then do yourself a favor and get
June’s new “Make It Blur”.
Key Tracks: No Time for Sense, Tempter
Reviewed by Rob Froese |
