JOUISKaleidoscopic/Psychotropic EP
self-released CD / downloadHailing from Brighton and onto their second release, the “Psychedelic Progressive Jazz Pop” combo are firmly in ‘up-music’ territory. It’s muso rock for jolly people and I’m sure it will divide Shindig-types into the traditional love and hate spheres, with no room to overlap.
Louis Pavlo’s organ dmoinates Jouis’s sound, and considering he’s an excellent player it’s understandable. Opener ‘Who Shot The Monkey?’ sounds like the result of a challenge to come up within 15 minutes your best Kaiser Chiefs/Arctic Monkeys impression. Plenty of energy but nothing stays in the memory banks. ‘Medicine Man’ is much more agreeable, building in a swirl of hazy vocals and kicking with a mighty bass and organ riff that is pure Dodgy meets Supergrass (I mean that in a good way!). ‘Medicine can make you swirl, make you spin, make you sweat, make you forget”. Amen to that. More like this and you’ll go far guys. ‘5878’ is a whimsical piece of harmony circus-pop, all changing time signatures and keys, with a touch of the Doors about it (especially in the jazzy middle improv section). It probably requires a certain sense of laconic humour to properly appreciate (I don’t possess one alas). Finally ‘Hallelujah Ukulele’ lays on the stop-start drama, a strange mix of funky pop and English psychedelic melancholia. Sounds interesting, but it just left me cold.
Progressive, bluesy indie music. It’s not man-the-barricades inspiring but they deserve more attention in future. Definitely catch them at a summer festival if you see them on the bill.
Phil Istine
Louis Pavlo’s organ dmoinates Jouis’s sound, and considering he’s an excellent player it’s understandable. Opener ‘Who Shot The Monkey?’ sounds like the result of a challenge to come up within 15 minutes your best Kaiser Chiefs/Arctic Monkeys impression. Plenty of energy but nothing stays in the memory banks. ‘Medicine Man’ is much more agreeable, building in a swirl of hazy vocals and kicking with a mighty bass and organ riff that is pure Dodgy meets Supergrass (I mean that in a good way!). ‘Medicine can make you swirl, make you spin, make you sweat, make you forget”. Amen to that. More like this and you’ll go far guys. ‘5878’ is a whimsical piece of harmony circus-pop, all changing time signatures and keys, with a touch of the Doors about it (especially in the jazzy middle improv section). It probably requires a certain sense of laconic humour to properly appreciate (I don’t possess one alas). Finally ‘Hallelujah Ukulele’ lays on the stop-start drama, a strange mix of funky pop and English psychedelic melancholia. Sounds interesting, but it just left me cold.
Progressive, bluesy indie music. It’s not man-the-barricades inspiring but they deserve more attention in future. Definitely catch them at a summer festival if you see them on the bill.
Phil Istine
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