Jupiter
Vinyl – Lazy Ash Tree (Liquid Evergreen Productions)
Pittsburgh two-piece Jupiter Vinyl (Corinne Bohjanen
on vocals and bass, Ed Horey on acoustic guitar and vocals) keep things
relatively simple on their debut LP. Musically they keep to the guitar / bass
template, with both performers taking both lead and backing vocals, though
Bohjanen takes the majority of leads – which is fitting, as she writes the
words. Their sound, a blend of upbeat folk and sunshine infused indie pop is
never less than utterly charming, and is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to
the face of the most cynical of music fans.
On stage they play a variety of cover material, from
Johnny Cash to Radiohead, but for their debut they present only one
non-original song, Maya Debski’s “Dreams from Clouds”.
It’s not a name I’m familiar with, and have no original version to compare
with, but in the hands of Bohjanen and Horey it becomes something quite
beautiful and serene. Before that they open proceedings with “Magic Soap”, propelled by Horey’s fierce strum, it’s
an irresistible cry for freedom, artistic or otherwise, and wrapped up in just
over two exhilarating minutes. Just as good and twice as delightful is “Wabash”, a summer paean to driving south with the
windows down. I can’t hear it without kicking off my shoes and cracking a cold
one.
Before I sign off, I should mention the presentation,
and available formats. Artist David Wadsworth has painted a picture in oils to
accompany each song, and they can be seen with the CD edition, which comes in a
100% recycled eco-wallet case, with a 12-page booklet. Additionally, there’s a
vinyl edition, which also includes artwork by Wadsworth. Needless to say,
downloads are available, too.
Simon M.
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