Talented group, great mix of "flavors"
K. K. Linn | South Bend, IN | 10/30/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"JLC albums can be broken into Matt Bivins songs and the Jay Clifford songs. I favor Clifford's hauntingly high melodies and jaunty pop songs. It amazes me that "Come out Clean" and "My Guitar" never went top 40. Bivins' "Body Parts" is a little too literal to be sexy, but he improves with "Habit," which is enhanced with Clifford's backing vocals. Clifford's "Close Your Eyes" is beautifully moving. I've had the fortune of seeing Clifford play solo and this acoustic song exemplifies the power of his writing and voice.
In "Magazine" JLC embraced a more electronic sound ala REM's "Monster," but their next albums "Vertigo" and "Between the Dim and the Dark" lean more towards the Radiohead-type of melancholic electronica. They weren't really pushing the envelope in 1998 when "Magazine" was originally released, but their enthusiasm and passion for music was catchy, just like their pop songs.
I first saw JLC in 1996 at the Georgia Theater in Athens, Georgia. They are a great musicians and performers who have a loyal following in the Southeast. I think JLC has stuggled with record deals because they don't really have a "type." JLC earns its fans through its live, charismatic performances. With each album their musical sensibilities mature and they compose more complex arrangements, without losing their sense of humor."