Reviews

Apparently, June has a pretty decent fan base; I was not aware. Having never been a listener, I wanted to have a completely objective opinion of their new album, Make it Blur. I am pretty familiar with the genre and the bands that dominate it, and I have to say, I don't see June entering that category for some time. Not that these guys didn't release a decent album with some moderately impressive musical accomplishments, but I'm not sure a memorable album was the ultimate outcome.

Musically, Make it Blur has its inspired moments. Track one throws you for a loop, offering a dramatic intro alluding to the next best emo record of the year, and then kicks into a rocking drum groove layered with equally striking vocal melodies and riffs. Unfortunately for track one, like many tracks on this album, this is where it ends. The choruses on this album are extremely disappointing. June is doing some interesting things in these verses and pre-choruses, exploring new sounds and time signatures, and undoubtedly showing off their maturing musicianship, but the choruses always seem to hit a brick wall. Just as most of these songs get to the chorus, all power is lost and replaced with spatial, drawn out melodies, certainly not fitting of a chorus in this genre. There are some stand out tracks on Make it Blur, ones where June seemed to finally nail the whole song, rather than just parts. Track 10 for instance, entitled "A Taste," is a dynamic pop song with incredible hooks and the ideal song structure for this genre.

There are obviously countless bands in this genre playing this kind of stuff, and there are a handful that define the sound. June is a young band, they have a couple mediocre albums out so far, and they have a great tour history under their belts. I don't see these guys ever being considered major players in the "pop/punk/emo/screamo" industry, however, I do hear them releasing a couple more decent albums, each one getting better, and their fan base steadily growing. This album is worth a listen, but I don't think it will receive anything more than that. There's just nothing here that makes you want to come back for more. Of course, this album will dominate the high school emo kids' house parties, and that's a pretty cool fate for your sophomore album.