Its an injustice to listen to an album only once before making a judgment, regardless of the performer or the initial opinion that the collection forms. Some sound great after the first spin, others take a few turns before they make sense, and still others come across as a challenge even after the 40th listen. Johnny Society’s fifth album, Coming to Get You, falls into the latter category, and despite several dozen listens and an inherent attachment to many of the band’s nuances, I am still searching for the element that brings me back to tumble again and again with this release.
It’s understandably indie, due to its ability to evade predictability, despite its accessible nature. And over the course of the 11 tracks, pop sensibility is undermined by guitarist Kenny Siegal’s throaty vocals which shine brightest on tracks like “Find the Light,” where fading falsetto drifts above modest B-3 ripples. “Don’t Talk Me Down” is a hummable, punchy number that showcases the hooks the trio is capable of, and as a centerpiece of the album, “Bloody Blade” offers six minutes of scraping guitars, epitomizing the force of Johnny Society.
Coming to Get You is one of those that albums that forces you to listen and listen again, yet the sounds fend off any coalescing ideas. It is this uneven quality that draws me back time and time again, that glimmer of greatness that is elusive, at least on this release. The nuances are there, and put simply, greatness is a future possibility for Johnny Society. Listening now may serve as only a teaser for what I can only hope is yet to come.
For more info see: johnnysociety.com
