Recension av Janus Daniel

Cam Bastedo - Gods Of Music - 2003-02-11

Betyg: 6/10

There’s nothing wrong with an imaginative title, and the title “Janus Daniel,” by Spiral Stairs, is very innovative, since no character of that name (or of any name, for that matter) is mentioned in the 1:56 seconds of this song; also – for I’ve checked - no character of that name can be found in the Chambers Biographical Dictionary. But, if there IS a character, named Janus Daniel anywhere on the planet, or in its history, he must be famous (somewhere) for just one thing: JUMPING AROUND!

Why do I say this? Because, in its relatively short duration, this song enjoins the listener repeatedly to, “Come on! Jump on and jump around!”

I can testify that it is a fun song to jump to – even with arthritic knees! In actual fact, it is much easier to jump to this tune than to write intelligent comments about it. I’ve tried doing both and I know.

My saying this won’t bother the composers, I suspect, for their disclaimer is that they: …don't try to make long advanced numbers… Rather they, …play distorted pop with very nice melodies and influences from both 60's pop, punk and lo-fi.

This is a good description. There’s nothing – other than the title – that is startlingly original and one can easily pick out the influences. The opening drum solo screams, “Some one better play ‘Wipe Out,’ right now!” The bass that follows, with its dry repetitive 1/8 notes, in a fluctuating pattern, but centering on a single note, is reminiscent of 100’s of similar bass lines – The Cars come to mind, for some random reason. Even the extremely simple four or five note tune, while delivered in a clipped punk monotone, sounds like any of literally dozens of pop songs from the 60’s, the 70’s and etc.

As far as technical expertise is concerned, the musicianship is quite solid: a very strong bass, reliable drumming and spot-on guitar playing. Only the voice falters occasionally, but not in a way that should cost the guy his job.

What we have here are young guys making exactly the sound that they want to make, completely aware that it is a derivative sound, and completely competent to produce that sound in a way calculated to make you – JUMP!

Tillbaka