sex and reverb
sex and reverb

(paisley pop)

www.paisleypop.com

released November 21, 2003

...in a little room...

I love records like this one, made by people like this guy. On the
liner notes, Shanti Jones says this is maybe what it would sound like,
amongst other things..."if the Monkees tripped over a beatbox...".
He also says it was "Made entirely in a little room off the kitchen".

I wait for records like sex and reverb to turn up in my mailbox. It's
eclecticism is refreshing, and most of all, it just sounds like he had a
hell of a great time making it. I also wait for artists like Jones,
because I am eternally fascinated by (and grateful for) musicians who
don't believe in sticking to some sort of genre-specific blueprint,
making records to be shoved into cubby holes.

sex and reverb jumps all over the map. Anyone hungry for big servings
of only pop and/or power pop might not get full, waiting on the ballads
woven between the songs to finish. Those craving harmonies and sweet
tenor vocals might be taken aback by Jones' sometimes bluesy voice.

What sex and reverb is, though, is a record for people who like
variety. Always melodious, it offers up is bouncy, fun dance tunes like
"Live Wire" and "Surrender" juxtaposed against sincere, sometimes
winsome, almost always Beatlesesque ballads: the altogether stunning
"Running With Scissors", "When I Die", "Tear Stained", amongst them; and
snaking around sing-along road trip songs: "Remain Lucid" and "Here She
Comes Now". No matter the type of song, every one of them is catchy,
and sticks like gum.

What it sometimes sounds like, for all the world, I swear, is Lenny
Kravitz singing for the Charlatans or the Soup Dragons---I swear I am
not making this up, and I do not think it's a bad thing, either,
believe me---or sometimes like Bob Dylan (if Mr. Dylan didn't sing
through his nose quite so much) on some kind of Happy Substance, that
also made him feel a bit more...awake. But it's really the Beatles who
receive the strongest reference here, particularly Rubber
Soul/Revolver era Beatles. There isn't a bad song in the lot. There
isn't one mediocre song on this album. It's as if Jones set out to make
a perfect record and succeeded.

Sonically, it's got that late '80s/early '90s Manchester thing going on
much of the time. The basslines cook underneath, the backing vocals
sound aquatic. A few times, the guitar just verges on becoming "I Feel
Fine" in a very vague way---the hint is there, but it fades away before
sex and reverb could be marred with banality, or worse, outright
plagiarize the Fab Four. Mostly, it's butt-shaking grooving and mellow,
sweet reflection, with a nod to the past, but moving toward the future.
Whatever he's done, deliberate or not, none of it's been lost on me.
There may be snow on the ground outside, but it feels like a sunny day
at the beach when this album is on. Just like summer in a little room,
with the Christmas tree lights on.

In a fair and just world, Shanti Jones would have a Big Hit Record with
this album. He ought to, and I hope he does. This is a very, very good
record, one that a lot of people should hear.

Strongly recommended, and well worth checking out.

__________________________________________________

To reach any other page contained in this month's update on Fufkin.com, read the home page for the appropriate link and click on it. You can also search the site from any page using the search box located at the top of each page. Merely type in the word, phrase, name of the band, recording, name of the Fufkin writer that you are looking for or Whatever in the search box, and then click on "Search". If you would like to e-mail us, go to the About Us page for a list of e-mail addresses.

Go back to the home page by clicking here

____________________________________________________