OH BOY OH BOY! It’s Jonquil! New album, new single and new music video. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VCTVg6hNaw8
Album is…. Jonquil – Point of Go (2012)
Review:
It’s difficult to define Oxford, UK-based Jonquil; although they undeniably appeal to fans of sunny pop numbers, but don’t let the ‘pop’ distinction fool you into assuming their sound resembles what you might find on mainstream radio. It’s filled with floating chords and memorable melodies, but approaches each song in a way that feels familiar yet continuously surprises the listener. The band has released two albums as a six-piece outfit, but now reemerges as a quartet with Point of Go.
The lineup change isn’t the only aspect that makes this LP new territory for the group. Up until now, most of the band’s recording has taken place in bedrooms and makeshift studios. For this album, they took to a farmhouse studio to create something with a more professional construction.
“The real main difference is the production, absolutely,” bassist and trumpeter Sam Scott says. “We were able to focus on the writing process without having to worry about learning the mechanics of the whole thing.”
The professional setup obviously fostered creativity within the group, as the project was completed in a relatively short period of time. “We wrote and recorded the whole thing in about six weeks,” Scott continues. “We were quite pleased with how quickly we wrote it.”
The result of this creative immersion is 11 infectious, tracks made for summer.
“We tried to catch the sound and make it nice and crisp and clear,” he mentions. “And we succeeded quite quickly so that was a nice thing to take away from it.”
The band has described the album as being more “accessible” than their previous work, citing influences that span decades. As fans themselves of artists like Fleetwood Mac, Earth, Wind, & Fire and The Smiths, it’s obvious that the band recognizes that accessible, listenable music doesn’t have to lack in meaning and significance.
“I really think it’s definitely pop songs,” said Scott, “thinking about catchy chords and pop songs while still keeping our character.”