June - Make It Blur
The label on the back of this promo CD told me that if I was a fan of Panic! At the Disco or Fall Out Boy, then I would like 'Make it Blur'. I was hopeful – I really quite like Fall Out Boy, their songs are memorable, punchy – anthemic even. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. While their Chicago based siblings capture the sound of youth with both flair and style, June fall short of the mark.
The album opens with 'No Time for Sense' a typically stirring rock number, all catchy guitars which crescendo beneath lyrics about identity and daring. Track two 'Finally' delves in to familiar teen rock territory – a song about confused young love ("Can this be real, is she really lying next to me?"), similarly track six 'I'd Lose Myself' is about recapturing lost romantic moments.
'Make it Blur' does at times feel very samey; it is often difficult to listen without letting one track drift into the other and the album displays frustratingly little progression lyrically or musically in its 45 minutes. This honestly, is a real shame as the album had the potential to be brilliant.
Aside from this, the standout track is far and away 'Machine and the Line'. Opening with a quirky dance beat before shifting into a cute pop melody and followed into the chorus by crunchy guitars, it's little gem of a number. Not only does it deviate from the rest of the album style wise, lyrically it changes tact as well, shifting from love to moving on and leaving others behind.
June have captured the sound of a young summer: sandy beaches, sunsets and holding hands at the end of the pier. A little bit Jimmy Eat World and quite a lot Fall Out Boy, this is no doubt a summery upbeat record that will be adored for a while but quickly forgotten.