Occupying
the intersecting point between dreamy pastoral folk and experimental
post-rock, Junkboy carve out an interesting and highly varied
slice of eclectic slow-core. Guitars resonate with shimmering
beauty whilst accompanying instruments add a touch of exoticism,
progressive arrangements from the soul of Seventies dreamers are
contemporised and allied with Jazz-based grooves. The whole thing
is steeped in stuffy summertime atmospherics and animated with
dreamy shoe-gazer vocals.
Junkboy is a Brighton based band consisting of brothers Mik and
Rich Hanscomb. Having left their hometown of Southend on-Sea and
taken up residence in Brighton and Hove in September 2006, the
brothers set about creating ‘Three’, a follow-up to
the ultra slo-fi of 2005’s Lost Parade album. Created through
utilising a DIY home recorded ethos and influenced by the likes
of Tortoise, Elliot Smith, Bert Jansch and Todd Rundgren, the
duo experimented heavily, bringing together there influences to
make the foundation for something entirely their own. For ‘Three’
they brought together an army of collaborators who provide a wide
assortment of instrumentation ranging from the more conventional
flute and horn to the more striking sounds of banjo and ebow.
The
jazzy bounce of opener ‘Volcano Mono’ is almost cinematic
in its delivery, meandering gracefully past soft vocal hums and
constantly developing into fresh pastures. On ‘Tonight’,
images of Porcupine Tree at their most tender and enigmatic shine
through the dreamy campfire haze, whilst ‘Seconds’
moves into early Feeder territory with its subtle yet menacing
punk-rock tinged riffage and whispered vocals. ‘Held Inside’
see’s the brothers Hanscomb undertake an exercise in ethereal
atmospheric pop combining sharp snares and dirge like whispers
with wispy melodics. On the press release, Rich points out “
we just take on our influences and make them our own” and
this is particularly true for the closer ‘Waiting For…’
which is steeped in a deep American aesthetic, coming across a
bit like Low versus My Bloody Valentine but still pure Junkboy.
Hauntingly beautiful, the track combines muffled percussion, manipulated
atmospherics and sparkling instrumentation with vocals which drift
cloudlike above the glimmering soundscape resulting in a wonderful
piece that showcases the devastating power of well crafted soft-core.
‘Three’
is the kind of album Air would have produced if they played instruments.
Over the course of 10 tracks and 46minutes, it wraps the listener
up in cotton-wool and removes them from the world outside into
the intimate surroundings of Junkboy’s home-based studio.
Sure its relatively inoffensive and requires attentive ears and
because of this, for some, ‘Three’ might prove to
be too light and airy to ignite any real passion, but spin this
album in the stuffy heat of a summer evening and I guarantee you
will sink into it headfirst. (RM)
For
fans of: Low, Kings of Convenience, Air, Elliot Smith, Tortoise
Click
to buy Three
Write
about this album here
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