June Of 44
Tropics And Meridians
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June Of 44
Tropics And Meridians
Touch & Go, 1996
RiYL: Rodan, Shellac, Jawbox, Ativin |
A lot of it has to do with "Anisette," the absolutely relentless opener. It's complex, smart, emotional, deftly-played, good, and I have a feeling that we're going to be seeing bands founded solely on an appreciation of this song before too long. "Lusitania" is the closest thing to a hit single June have recorded, and likely ever will, and does as well as can be expected for summarizing their brilliance in less than three minutes.
The middle of the album is far less immediate. "June Leaf" and "Lawn Bowler," which come across to me as two parts of one very similar-sounding suite, aren't exactly dull, but they don't seize the listener in the way the first two tracks do. I imagine the effect is improved on vinyl, where there's side division (plus clearer sound), and I really do intend to buy this album on wax as soon as I buy those other 300 records on my wish list.
The final third works perfectly -- the haunting "Arms Over Arteries" is setup, "Sanctioned In A Birdcage" a knockdown punch. Jeff Mueller croons on the former and shouts on the latter, and it's hard to choose which is better. The album's final twist -- music drops out, Mueller screams on alone, raging at the void -- isn't exactly subtle, but it's effective.
Worth your dime for "Anisette" alone, Tropics And Meridians is the ideal introduction to the June Of 44 discography. The only one of their records to not feature a serious misstep, and lyrically quite strong as well, the album rocks, thinks, and moves.
MARK T.R. DONOHUE | Mark T.R. Donohue is a prolific freelance writer whose areas of expertise include Rockies baseball, video games, genre television, English soccer, and pub rock. He lives in Colorado, where he cultivates the largest and creepiest private collection of Alyson Hannigan memorabilia in the Mountain West.