[3.5/5] Without broken hearts and/or potty humor, it can be difficult for a pop-punk band to "make it." Yet San Francisco's J Church have remained consistently compelling and prolific in their 15-year history, despite-or because of-frontman (and sole original member) Lance Hahn's intellectually pointed approach. Steeped in a mix of social philosophy and personal bitterness, J Church return with 16 songs of their immediately identifiable punk rock, loaded with the sarcasm, ire and frenetic Bay-style melodies fans have come to love. And though the band's more recent efforts have occasionally been criticized as pretentious or bloated, Horror is quite accessible both in terms of album length and content. Still, J Church remain J Church-ensuring that this '90s-style pop-punk comes with a challenging twist of smart, dark, post-modern reflection. Though not as cute as some bands, J Church are way more authentic and interesting. Dummies beware. (NO IDEA) Ronen Kauffman
 Official Website: http://www.noidearecords.com
|
