Search - St Johnny :: Speeding Is Dreaming

Half genius

Alain Didier | Atlanta, GA USA | 10/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One of the bands signed to Geffen at the behest of Thurston Moore, who had some clout with that label at the time, New York's St. Johnny somehow got lost in the shuffle. I can't figure out why, because this record is killer. Not exactly noise, not hardcore, not metal, not grunge -- well maybe that's why. Screaming loud guitars, but it never veers out of control. The band was tight. The lyrics are sort of an afterthought, and generally delivered in a narcotic-inflected voice, low in the mix. After a relatively slow/ light start, the album picks up at the end of the first side and then just rips from there on out... Side 2 is like a different band. Side 1 is more the pop-ish, gentler, chick-friendly side, while side 2 is darker, intense, desperate. Multitracked opiated vocals glide and dip over majestic mountains and valleys of careening guitars and drums. I'm reminded a little of vintage Dinosaur at times, with the contrast of sleepy vocals against ferocious buzzsaw guitar and pummelling drums. But there are almost no solos, it's tight throughout, and the vibe is more Lower East Side. Really, these guys had it and they should have been huge. If you like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., stuff like that, you'd be an idiot not to plunk down the 5 bucks (postage included) needed to buy this. I gave it 4 stars here but the last few songs are 5 +."