JR JR Has Gone To Its Happy Place

Hailing from Detroit, JR JR ladles out a nice soup of aural delight which gracefully conceals the deep seated unrest gripping the lyric sheet from stem to stern. Like some whistling joviality? JR JR is very happy to oblige. Up for some juicy bass riffs? You'll find them there too. Daniel Zott, Joshua Epstein, Mike Higgins, Jon Visger, and Bryan Pope make for a highly unified collective that goes tripping down the primrose path while grappling with weighty life decisions such as what to do with oneself as Father Time presses forward. Give them credit for upfront declaration about opening door after door trying to find the true self and getting precious little traction. JR JR uses a nifty visual approach in the video. Decapitation station anyone? Lots of legs but no upward body parts accompanying them. The whistling I brought up earlier enables you not to get too swept up in the weight of the immense life decisions, increasingly urgent as time passes. To think JR JR was conceived with precious little intent on reaching the public. The pop chart game is akin to throwing darts against a wall to see what sticks. I'm so glad JR JR didn't throw in the towel. "Gone" tastes very good on the tongue as musical feasts go. You can't hardly beat the peppiness involved. This chorus represents a declaration of emotional independence of sorts. Loud and clear we're treated to "I can't be everything you want me to be." Who on Earth really can? We put our best foot forward and hope for the best when all is said and done. You can bet hand clapping is a prerequisite. That's straight out of the spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down school of thought. The vocals merge gorgeously in the right places. Mike Higgins keeps the beat maintained beautifully all the while adding due froth to the mix. The group's self-titled album contains this fetching jewel. It never ceases to amaze and delight me how far out in space video directors can be. The "Gone" video must have been created using copious paint thinner inhalants to lube the creative process. That sounds apt given in the '80s plenty of coke was on the mixing console. The stars of the day will admit to using in large amounts. Nothing wrong with liberating the flow a hair. Many an artist has used substance to unlock the hidden potential. Another tightly coiled package at under 4 minutes. The spring action can't be denied nor can the propensity of "Gone" to keep you footloose when and where possible. "Gone" is very much about centering on the here and now and that works out well for these Michigan musicians. Slip this into the iPad shuffle next time you're at a life crossroads.