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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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Jwonder:
Righteous
Norfolk, Virginia's Jwonder make a bright first statement with their debut album Righteous. A musically ambitious, tight, energetic record filled with tempo shifts, key changes, and different musical styles, the band fuses jazz-funk rhythms with pop-rock vocals and guitar; the result is an accessible sound firmly rooted in strong musicianship. Opener "My Time" is a good snapshot of what lies ahead what seems at first a fairly straight-ahead 311-style rock song transitions from the second verse to the chorus with an unexpected tempo shift fueled by a fast, intense bass line a brief interlude but a welcome hint of both creativity and an unwillingness to settle for just the "straight-ahead." In fact, the band is at its best when focusing on the musical interplay among its members. In particular, the rhythm section of Dave Samson on drums and Jonathan Steele on bass is amazing. Samson brings a Stewart Copeland-esque jazzy feel for off-beats and constant experimentation with the groove, while Steele effortlessly anchors the multiple rhythm and tempo shifts. Particular examples of their strong work are the Fishbone ska-funk of "Lay Down Rock n Roll" and the driving, intense "This Land..., both of which also feature strong turns by tenor saxophonist Earl Rayfield, whose solo on "This Land..." is indicative of the great feel and tone he brings to the whole album. Jwonder does not suffer from a lack of musical ideas, often cramming several different styles or concepts into one song. For instance, "Redemption Walking" starts with an intricate, delicate guitar figure that is mirrored by the vocals of guitarist/singer Jonathan Buckingham. Then after the first chorus, the song segues into a thirty-second Red Hot Chili Peppers-ish funk headbanging section, followed by another transition back to a typical pop song, a distorted electric guitar solo, after which it all repeats from the original guitar figure until an unusually contemplative ending. There is even a coda to the song, an analog recording of the band playing jazz quartet style featuring a lilting trumpet solo. Blake Wallace adds this trumpet to three other songs as well: "Found," "Wrong Side," where his Harmon-mute creates a lovely relaxed atmosphere, and the jump blues horn section of King Kong Rocking. Despite the excellent musicianship, the songs themselves are often lyrically lacking, even clichd. Buckingham simply does not possess a good frontman's voice, and he falls into vocal imitations of terrible alt-rock radio bands too often. Luckily, his bandmates provide enough musical cover so that the singing is never too much of a distraction. Ultimately, Righteous is a success, because of the musicianship of the band members and the constant creative musical ideas juxtaposed throughout.
This album can be purchased at the Jwonder Official Website About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
