Johnossi Albums (2)
'All They Ever Wanted'
Release Date 3/28/2008
Tracks 10
Label Universal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Johnossi crank up the volume on this sophomore effort, which replaces the band's folksy tendencies with a fierce dedication to decibels and distortion. Frontman John Engelbert and drummer Ossi Bonde first emerged in 2006 as a fierce pop/rock duo, injecting shuffling tracks like "Man Must Dance" with blasts of guitar muscle and percussive thunder. All They Ever Wanted lays its cards squarely on the rock side of the table, however, ditching the loud-and-soft mix that made the duo's eponymous debut so appealing. There's still a lot to love here: the opening track, "18 Karat Gold," is an irresistible mix of melody and might; "Up in the Air" boasts an irresistible power pop chorus; and "Party with My Pain" samples a line from the Presidents of the United States of America's "Lump" before dissolving into an elastic garage rock workout. But the album's best moments pale in comparison to the highlights from Johnossi's debut, and there's nothing along the lines of "Family Values," a surprisingly beautiful ballad that showed the depth of Engelbert's songwriting skills in 2006. Those depths are still there; they've just become a bit muddled by the band's attempt to balance musicianship with muscular delivery, which doesn't yield as many standout tracks as the previous release. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Johnossi are singer/guitarist John Engelbert and drummer Oskar "Ossi" Bonde, and for a duo, this Swedish pair packs quite a punch. You wouldn't think so from the folky, acoustic intro to "The Show Tonight," which opens their eponymous debut album, not, at least, until Engelbert's electric guitar storms in and kicks the song toward hard rock. But Johnossi delight in bashing around genres, from the bluesy ballad "The Lottery," which slams into Southern rock and boasts a "Free Bird"-styled soaring guitar solo, to the porch picking blues of "Man Must Dance," which slides surprisingly into sharply angular post-punk. "Dance" is irrepressible and "Execution Song" equally so, an insatiable slab of '60s garage. "Rescue Team" positively swaggers around British Invasion territory with a fabulously infectious singalong chorus, mod for the modern age, Engelbert's Little Richard's "oohs" adding to the fun. Less catchy but more intense is "Press Hold," a superb mix of late-'60s-styled rock with an indie inflection and a Western flair. "Santa Monica Bay" also slides between genres, a supple shift from coursing R&B into '70s-styled hard rock, while "Glory Days to Come" is equally driving, a Western with gloom-pop overtones and hard rock underpinnings. The music may shift dramatically, but the pair's themes rarely do, with most revolving around soul-searching and/or angsty situations. Some are poignant, like the wishing-for-a-happy-home "Family Values"; some are reassuring, like the self-explanatory "There's a Lot of Things to Do Before You Die"; although (uniquely) the pretty, yearning "Summerbreeze" is outright nasty. With plenty to chew over lyrically and music to knock your socks off, Johnossi prove the power of two's might. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
