JJ72 Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Following up a critically praised near-classic album with another winner is a feat that so few artists accomplish. JJ72's I to Sky sees frontman Mark Greaney and company nearly matching their debut, pairing their own unique style to a series of musical influences, from Joy Division to the Smiths to Kiwi rock to U2 to the Smashing Pumpkins and obviously Placebo, but sometimes fumbling about in a not-entirely welcome, newfound sonic bombast courtesy of uber-producer Flood and mixer Alan Moulder. When Greaney hits the nail on the head, he's still capable of musical epiphany. "Formulae" is a masterstroke equal to the singles extracted from the eponymous debut. Greaney's opening vocals sit easily alongside processed acoustic guitars as he nonchalantly sings about things going wrong and man-made rules, and then, 40 seconds in, the heavens open and he lets loose his trademark range to tackle a killer chorus. "I Saw a Prayer" and "Always and Forever" are also worthy of the band's spectacular debut; the former adds a "Pure Morning"-like crunch and punch to the formula, while the latter feels like a second cousin to "Algeria." Greaney sounds old beyond his years on "Always and Forever" -- kind of like a frazzled Morrissey singing romantically over textured bass notes and homegrown beats similar to those from David Gray's White Ladder, while a lush, anthemic U2 sweep breezes past. "City" blends early New Order iciness with a buried backdrop of fractured, buzzing, dreamy Kiwi guitars. "Sinking" is the closest approximation to Martin Hannett's production of Joy Division this side of 1980, but the subject matter and melody can't match Ian Curtis and the song falls rather flat accordingly. But falling flat is something JJ72 rarely does; even the ridiculous lyrics of "Serpent Sky" and the wretched screaming segments of "City" can't hamper the band's charisma and spark. Ultimately, I to Sky can't decide what it wants to be, and it's this quality that will make or break the album for individual fans. In a sense, it's much like Pavement's Wowee Zowee, full of splendid tangents that don't always best represent the band's strengths but that give new insight into their influences. It would be wrong to view the album as an indication of a sophomore slump, because JJ72's debut set the peg so high into the stratosphere. I to Sky is a rewarding but difficult album that unleashes its charms over time. There's no denying that atmosphere has taken the lead over songwriting prowess, and one can't help but think that JJ72 somehow got sidetracked on their journey to creating a second instant classic, but like the debut, the album leaves the listener clamoring for more of Greaney's flights of fancy. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
If you want to make a mistake, at least make it a big one. Things heated up for Ireland's much hyped "new hope," what with 2000's endless excitable press clippings, triumphant festival slots, and a full-length chance to prove to the world if their three-minute slices of searing guitar distress were worth any of the attention in the first place. Indeed, fortune has been strong with this young trio. The fact that JJ72 sound completely unfazed even when they screw it all up is what makes this roaringly ambitious debut so captivating. It's an idea that has many a Suede and Joy Division name-checks sound apt, as proved by the likes of "Snow" or "Algeria," sweltering, emotive crackles of indie guitar thunder that succeed in being as innocent and powerful as any song influenced by the greats. Truly, the magnificence of JJ72 is that they're on top form even when they don't seem to know what they're doing. Mark Greaney's garrulous growls and falsettos soar over far too many syllables. The band's "soft/loud" Nirvana-isms are occasionally banal. Sometimes it's only the band's wide-eyed eagerness that saves everything. With a lyrical mash-up of abstract imagery ("Short sleeves and warm skin/losing coins calling next of kin") and glorious bursts of confessional euphoria -- somewhere in between the Sex Pistols and the poems of John Keats -- album peaks like "Oxygen" are extraordinary. They show how choosing the right blunders can make all the difference in the world. Because for all its evident talent, this debut album is admittedly a student film, with all of its naivete, vigor, and self-indulgence. These mistakes are big. These mistakes are personal. Yet these same mistakes transform JJ72 into a band nothing short of inspiring, and just a touch away from being impossibly beautiful. ~ Dean Carlson, All Music Guide
