Review Summary: Josephine Collective's high-energy twist on modern rock and pop music is bound to leave you shamelessly singing along.
What first pops into your mind when somebody mentions the state of Kansas? Well, it probably has something to do with Dorothy, Dust in the Wind, and/or barren wasteland in general. However, the state actually has something new and fresh to offer for once. Enter
Josephine Collective, a relatively new 6-piece rock outfit based out of Johnson County, Kansas. Recently signed to Warner Brothers/Reprise and working along side with producer and Goldfinger front man John Feldmann,
We Are The Air is Josephine Collective's major label debut album (Digital Release).
Josephine Collective is . . .
Dillon DeVoe - Vocals
Alexander Sandate - Vocals
Martin Swank - Guitar/Vocals
Damon Baltsuka - Guitar
Colby Logback - Bass
Jared Bond - Drums
(Note - Albert Redwine (keys/vocals) left the band shortly after most of
We Are The Air was recorded)
1.
Living This appears to be Josephine's first attempt at a single. The song starts off with a simple in-your-face progression which sticks throughout the whole song. Clever lyrics, not overly flashy, and downright catchy as hell.
2.
Crack My Heart Slightly more poppy and generic, Crack My Heart follows the same catchy approach as
Living. The lyrics put a nice twist on the usual topic of what guys their age usually sing about.....women.
3.
Lye Lye opens with a much more dimmer mood than the first two songs, with DeVoe singing of self-destructive childhoods, depression, and an unwillingness to change. I really like this song, as orchestral/jazz accompaniments linger in the background of the whole song. The backing instruments give the 2 minutes 57 seconds a nice swing to it.
4.
Clementine Once again, Josephine opts for the in-your-face formula with
Clementine. Cleverly written, extremely catchy song. DeVoe's lyrics interest me the most. I have picked up several references to the famous LSD Proponent Timothy Leary and after every listen, it leaves me wondering what this song is about exactly...
5.
Scarlet Scarlet is probably one of the most hard-hitting songs on the album, as it touches base with the band's evident evolution from screamo/hardcore styling. The intro guitar riff is money and the song makes you feel like punching a wall.
6.
Leave Me Love Leave Me Love opens with a nice little rap/dance medley sang by Devoe, Sandate, and the rest of the group. Instrumentally, this might be the most interesting song on the album. Lots of interesting guitar effects, piano usage, cowbell, and another interesting rap/beat-box breakdown halfway through.
7.
It's Like Rain Every album needs its easy-going anthem, and
It's Like Rain is it. Totally a feel good simplistic song that is bound to put a smile on your face.
8.
Ivy League This is easily my least favorite song on the album. While I can't pinpoint it, the song just...leaves more to be desired.
9.
Let Go Once again, this song opens with some nice group vocals and applause. DeVoe and Sandate take turns moaning about, you called it, a self-destructive childhood and drug-usage. Not my favorite, but a fairly solid song.
10.
Pray For Rain Pray For Rain is my favorite song on the album. It's probably the most "radio friendly" and the lyrics are fantastic.
11.
We Are The Air The title track off the album.
We Are The Air enters with Martin and Damon laying down a very nice guitar riff reminiscent of southern rock/blues artists. I found this to be a very epic song, however the ending just drags on forever and I lose complete interest in it to be honest.
Josephine Collective's debut effort on Warner Brothers was a pretty big surprise to me.
We Are The Air made for a refreshing listen from start to finish. The lyrics are extremely well written, as are the rest of the parts. Probably the biggest highlight is the band's musicianship and their ability to bridge many genres and styles of music while at the same time constantly complimenting one another. No flashy drum fills or over-baring guitar solos here, just solid music in general. 2 Thumbs Up.
Liked:
-Lyrical content
-Catchy
-Musicianship
Disliked:
-A filler or two
-Seemed a bit over-produced and polished (some songs might be too "busy")
