The name of this band smacks of a sequined frontman singing in front of his anonymous players, while the lengthy title of their album underlines the potential of a collaborative approach. At first sniff it may seem a tad disjointed, but a glance at the Moncton-based band’s website reveals that its songwriting process is roughly as follows: Jerome busts out a lick on some instrument or other, the band starts grooving on it, and if everyone is game they work together to convert their spontaneous magic into a memorable, repeatable song.
Chemistry caught wind of the members’ individual affinities, combined it with their collective approach, and the result is a batch of songs with the feel of immediacy. They tend to be carried by a propulsive property, with the pace generally high. My immediate reaction to this album title was that it seemed rather grandiose, so spotting the title “Great Claims of Grandeur” in the tracklist will always strike me as a wink. That song is also the lead single from this, their debut album, and stands as one of the strongest in the bunch. While there are hooks aplenty throughout, “Unconditional Aid” is the song that convinced me it will be worth seeing this band next time they roll through town.
Perhaps the most lyrically telling song is “The Current,” which loads up on fish and swimming references and builds up to a warm idea that, gazed upon from some angles, can make nothing seem better than congregating: “You’re a fish out of water, but we’re all the same.” Comfort. Community. (Superbob, johnjerome.bandcamp.com) Daniel Emberg