BEWARE ! Loony tunes fromNew York.
As soon as youve popped-in this CD youll think troubadour. Now, JoGaBop sometimes known as JoGa (or whoever), is very much an acquired taste, so keep an open mind. A very open mind.
Though not from the same direct school as say looney-tuner Devendra Banhart, there is an element of, er, wackiness straddling this lengthy collection of 24 tracks, some, it has to be said, are unnecessary.
Unlike Banhart, who has recently kind of branched out (only a tad mind), there is an undeniable charm which has similar roots to Banharts influence Marc Bolan circa 1967/68 during his Elemental Child period, and, Becks shadow looms large as well. This period was Bolans Tyrannosaurus Rex days before Ride A White Swan decreed hed effectively sold out. Somehow though, you just can imagine JoGa (Bop) following a similar path. Anyway, Glam Rock died three decades ago. What you have to look for here, is not just the nifty and sometimes outrageous songs, but the fine detail and the presentation style that impresses most, including some crude editing.
In reality, Good Morning! is a fearless assault on the earlugs with some masterfully sophisticated and oft intricate musicianship. Yes, it takes a while before a really accessible song pops-up, Hannah Montana and its worth the wait that could, at a serious push, be a breakthrough UK single, if slightly reworked. This is segued by a nutty campfire blast Firemans Carry - with rough-hewn riffs, dollops of piano and collective chants reminiscent of a late 60s trip, maybe.
Things are a bit more normal and straightforward on beat-laden El Seven with splashes of subliminal piano and octave shifting vocals which the band (?) are clearly having fun with. Surrogate Sisters sounds like a band (?)who are snozzled, though its probably organised chaos, but of course it isnt (honestly). Whatever, its pretty cool. And again, all hell breaks loose on rugged-rocker Down The Shore propelled by edgy riffs and picks.
Back on the (almost) straight and narrow Doppelgangers retains the fun element with all and sundry chipping-in on the vocals while a wiry guitar keeps things edgy and some lazy-hazy drumming. Erectile Misfunction is hard to fathom out, relegating it to a throw-away song, whereas Timber gravitates back to psyche-folk and its really well structured with occasional complex drum bursts added to the stripped back acoustic strumming.
Good Morning ! rambles out on the ambling sing-a-long Cosmic Creep, hopefully not a reference the beloved Bolan. I think not.
Verdict Unique, and great fun.
You can hear a track from this CD on Ellys show THE PLUG on Monday 27th September between 2-4PM at www.calonfm.com