June – Make It Blur
Record Label: Victory Records
Release Date: August 7, 2007
I am nowhere naive enough to believe the words in this article will slow or deter June in any way. As my stuffed animal (a dog named Hank) and my comic book-collage mock me in the house of my parents, it’s hard to feel like I have any actual influence. This isn’t a question of power, though. Make It Blur, much like my room and existence, is ordinary. What a foul word. Just a few years ago this sound would have been dandy, even refreshing. But nowadays everyone wants “that” moment; the fleeting sensation where one can close their eyes and drift away from all things unattainable. The last thing we want is to remember how alike everything is and how it always will be. June’s new album is my stuffy bedroom, and I’ll be damned if I spend another day in this prison.
I’ll be the first to admit, I liked If You Speak Any Faster. There was an urgency and attitude about it. Make It Blur is simply a gloopy mess without pizazz. Two made-up words, yes, but they do the job. And oh, I’m sure you saw this coming, it all falls apart in the choruses. “Just Don’t Let Go” teases with a climax that never comes and it relies on a hook lacking sincerity. The song is an indication of most of the album: unconvincing singing, simple guitars and missed chances.
While Fall Out Boy, Panic!, and The Academy Is… have become masters (if there is such a thing) of the short pop song, June are merely apprentices. Those bands’ influences are all over Make It Blur. “Swallowed” only lacks William Beckett and “No Time For Sense” would greatly benefit from a Pete Wentz-style character. He’s misunderstood! Make It Blur is forever within these large shadows, the chess loving younger brother to their football team captain.
The overuse of electronics by pop-rock bands has made a nifty thing quite taboo. Any white guy in dunks can create a snare beat, but some stones are better left untouched (“Finally”). You must see my line of thought by now. I can’t listen to Make It Blur without trying to pinpoint where I (not quite literally) heard these songs before. Naturally I feared the old June lost forever. Not true, and “I’d Lose Myself” proves this. The song is a rough mix of the aforementioned “Big Three,” as it fluctuates with enough stylistic zigzagging to sustain interest. The chorus rests on the wings of Tim Brennan’s high vocals and the piano adds depth rather than simply filling in someone else’s coloring book.
Gee whiz, I think this review had enough clichés scattered throughout to last me a few weeks (days? hours?). I guess without much musical inspiration I am left to my own, vastly under-talented devices. Make It Blur gives me very little to work with, but it will keep less adventurous music fans satisfied until the next slightly mainstream pop band “blows” them away. I thank my lucky stars to not be one of those people.
Recommended If You Like: Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is…, cheerleader megaphones, Panic! At The Disco, faulty kaleidoscopes
I have to agree somewhat. It's rather mediocre but at the same time...there's a bit of something there that I want to listen to. Probably not enough to make me stay in the bedroom...but I'll stop by, for sure. :)
very few reviews intrigue me like this one did, great review, this band has slowly went downhill, I loved their ep, and then liked IYSAF, and then i heard 3 new songs and almost cried they were that bad, I will prolly purchase this CD, to make my final decision, but my chances of liking it won't be very good, especially with it being released in 2007, where 80% of the albums I've bought I've liked A LOT (which is saying something for me), we'll see how it all pans out, nice review
I definitely agree that a lot of the songs on this album have that "i think i've heard this before" effect on me. Granted I had the same feeling when I first heard If You Speak Any Faster. Although I must say I dig Tempter and I'd Lose Myself... But really thats about it... as for the rest of the songs... I've had the album for about 24 hours, listened to in its entirety four times and am already bored with the rest... I'd give it a 4 for staying power at best.
Love the review. Haven't heard the album yet, but I wasn't impressed when I saw these guys live.
Ha yes! I saw them in Seattle and was not impressed, but I try to give bands benefit of the doubt. Maybe they were having a bad day, I thought to myself. So I saw them the very next day in Spokane and was even more so disappointed. Don't think this is an album I will be purchasing, and this review helped sway that decision!
haha, but seriously, the whole things sounds like a gloopy mess. I read that they went in the studio with 20 songs and all the 12 picked sound like the same song. There are little to no dynamic changes and the guitars sound flat and, well, simple.
And if that doesn't make sense, how about some waffles?
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