4Play: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, White Rabbits, Blue Roses, July

4Play
Kristi Kates 7/6/09
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Lonely Road - EMI
Howard Benson took the reins for The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ sophomore album, and his Seether/All-American Rejects-honed sensibilities proved to be a great assistance for RJA in putting together a more eclectic rock album.The title track has a b-i-g sound and a bit of a western influence, while “Believe” brings in Motown harmonies, “Represent” offers up a big hook and perhaps one of the better melodies on the set, and “Pleads and Postcards” moves more into today’s indie-punk sound - but thanks to Benson’s cohesion, it all still sounds like the same album.


White Rabbits - It’s Frightening - TBD Records
It’s Frightening is less instantly catchy than White Rabbits’ first album, Fort Nightly, but it still has plenty of appeal all on its own. Spoon’s Britt Daniel produced the set, which kicks off aggressively via “Percussion Gun,” the heavy-drum infused opener, and the tracks get more catchy from there. “Rudie Fails” is snappy indie-rock with a repetitive refrain and a juggled rhythm, “Lionesse” features a chill synth intro and a near-instrumental arrangement, and “Midnight and I” offers wavering guitars and suspense. It sounds like this Brooklyn band has crafted another hit.



Blue Roses - Blue Roses - Beggars XL
Yorkshire singer-songwriter Laura Groves helms Blue Roses, on which she teams folky histrionics with guitarist, marimbas, and pianos, as well as multi-tracked choirs of her own vocals. Her mostly-pretty songs (that sometimes, but not often, veer over the top of melodrama) range from the harp-tinged “Does Anyone Love Me Now?” to the dense piano and strings of “Greatest Thoughts” and the carefully-plucked “Doubtful Comforts” showcases her ability to delicately interpret her own lyrics, which deal mostly with introspection, melancholy and lost romance.


July - July - Rev-Ola
Considered one of the most sought-after British psychedelic ‘60s albums of all time, July’s original release was in 1968, and now it’s being released 40 years later in a special expanded reissue that retains the original’s lo-fi, retro studio sound while still enhancing the individual tracks’ details. “My Clown” is a precursor of today’s shoegaze with its harmonies and slow-burn ending; “Dandelion Seeds” devolves into a quirky middle section and adds a little jazz flair to the proceedings; and “The Way” throws in some of the era’s popular sitar for good measure.

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