Customer Reviews

I to Sky

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

JJ72's eponymous debut was a solid effort, but suffered from an unhealthy degree of same-y-ness, boasting several amazing tracks but also several totally forgettable ones. On I To Sky we were promised a more stripped down, dark sound. And true, the strings are missing, but listening to I To Sky, this is clearly the same band recording as on JJ72. Where JJ72 was littered with references to Placebo and Everything Must Go-era Manics, I To Sky is full of nods to the Smashing Pumpkins - from the softest to the loudest songs, the influence is present.

Yet, like Muse and Coldplay, JJ72 are a band that, regardless of what influences they take on board, will always sound very similar. This is partly due to Mark Greaney's voice - in turns playful and sweet, then melodramatic, raw, cracked and howling. On I To Sky it sounds even higher - and the suspicion on first single Formulae is that it may have been digitally altered to sound so in the verse. Nevertheless, it's very good, despite being the closest thing here to the first album - sticking to the traditional JJ72 format of lovely, somewhat twee verse and big, melodramatic chorus.

Elsewhere we see more variation but little improvement. 7th Wave builds throughout the song to its climax but ultimately leaves little impression, and opener Nameless is a slight, stripped-down piano ballad that seems more an overture or prequel to I To Sky than the opening manifesto that October Swimmer was to JJ72. Similarly, Oiche Mhaith is a nice, beautiful closer, but not even a closing call of `love, love, love, love' can turn it into a match for JJ72's magnificent finale Bumble Bee.

The darker, heavier edge promised is only really present on one track - Serpent Sky - which starts with a 100% Placebo riff, threatens to be entirely forgettable, but soon builds right up into a quasi-metallic opus that, unlike every song on JJ72, never moves back into quietness at any point. This is such a triumph that it ends up being the album's best track. But unfortunately, despite several likable efforts, there is nothing on I To Sky to match the ragged, elegaic, tortured beauty of October Swimmer, Oxygen, Snow or Algeria. Instead, where JJ72 was half-brilliant half-forgettable, I To Sky is entirely good but never great, with the possible exception of Formulae and Serpent Sky. Consequently, JJ72 will have to wait until their third album to perfect their formula (no pun intended). 3 stars.

This Irish trio ups the tempos on their second release, I to Sky, and the new speed makes their hyper-emotional juvenilia signify more deeply than on their debut. Problem is, Mark Greaney has also upped the vocal register. His shrieking tenor now sounds like Chipmunks on acid. The songs themselves are stellar, especially the rollicking "Formulae" and the incendiary "I Saw a Prayer". So I won't blame the material on the low repeat potential of I to Sky - just the producers, Flood and Alan Moulder, neither of whom have ever met a filter or an echo machine they didn't like. And who certainly urged Greaney to scream like Jimmy Somerville on rock night at the gay bar.

JJ72's eponymous debut was a solid effort, but suffered from an unhealthy degree of same-y-ness, boasting several amazing tracks but also several totally forgettable ones. On I To Sky we were promised a more stripped down, dark sound. And true, the strings are missing, but listening to I To Sky, this is clearly the same band recording as on JJ72. Where JJ72 was littered with references to Placebo and Everything Must Go-era Manics, I To Sky is full of nods to the Smashing Pumpkins - from the softest to the loudest songs, the influence is present.

Yet, like Muse and Coldplay, JJ72 are a band that, regardless of what influences they take on board, will always sound very similar. This is partly due to Mark Greaney's voice - in turns playful and sweet, then melodramatic, raw, cracked and howling. On I To Sky it sounds even higher - and the suspicion on first single Formulae is that it may have been digitally altered to sound so in the verse. Nevertheless, it's very good, despite being the closest thing here to the first album - sticking to the traditional JJ72 format of lovely, somewhat twee verse and big, melodramatic chorus.

Elsewhere we see more variation but little improvement. 7th Wave builds throughout the song to its climax but ultimately leaves little impression, and opener Nameless is a slight, stripped-down piano ballad that seems more an overture or prequel to I To Sky than the opening manifesto that October Swimmer was to JJ72. Similarly, Oiche Mhaith is a nice, beautiful closer, but not even a closing call of `love, love, love, love' can turn it into a match for JJ72's magnificent finale Bumble Bee.

The darker, heavier edge promised is only really present on one track - Serpent Sky - which starts with a 100% Placebo riff, threatens to be entirely forgettable, but soon builds right up into a quasi-metallic opus that, unlike every song on JJ72, never moves back into quietness at any point. This is such a triumph that it ends up being the album's best track. But unfortunately, despite several likable efforts, there is nothing on I To Sky to match the ragged, elegaic, tortured beauty of October Swimmer, Oxygen, Snow or Algeria. Instead, where JJ72 was half-brilliant half-forgettable, I To Sky is entirely good but never great, with the possible exception of Formulae and Serpent Sky. Consequently, JJ72 will have to wait until their third album to perfect their formula (no pun intended). 3 stars.

In my opinion, this is the best album by this great band. On this album, the band experimented different styles from alternative rock to pop.

IF only JJ72 hadn't broke up, they could still be releasing albums like this now. Serpent Sky, Formulae, Always and Forever, and Nameless are A+. AND the Formulae music video. Tops!

First things first. As expressed in the reviews on the bands first album these guys don't sound anything like Placebo. Both lead singers have a high pitched voice and that's it so don't let that sway your opinion of this CD. What this is however is a solid example of true alternative music. Creative, passionate, moody and guitar driven with interpretive lyrics that leave the listener wanting more. Want more? Try the CD single Formulae and the b-side Alabaster Ocean it's worth the money. JJ72 builds nicely on their first release by improving the overall quality of the release. In their first CD there were songs that could have been gone either way but not in their second effort. Every song has character and stands on their own. Formulae, Serpent Sky, Half Three and City all grab your attention and never fail to impress when I play them for my friends. This release is really high on my list and I can't recommend it enough.

Don't let the critics scare you away from this release. JJ72 follows in the footsteps on their first release and created a solid, consistent and perhaps a better album than their first. Formulae is the spectacular highlight of the album but there are several others. Unlike another reviewer I actually like the lead singers voice and I find the production quite good. The bottom line is that if you liked their first disc you will like their second, it hasn't left my CD player since I bought it.

The first review above mine dismisses this cd. Do NOT listen to that. This cd is uh-mazing. I said to my JJ72 partner in crime that I think I even like this better than the first release, which was brilliant.

I'm not going to go into song detail because I love every song on this cd. No kidding! Every song! It spans from very slow and pretty to heavy and hard bass and guitar.

This is probably my cd of the year. My close second is Interpol. BUY this, borrow it, whatever! It's worth it. Warning you have to listen on a semi-cool system. Your ...portable cd player will not do this cd justice.

In closing I will say if you have a chance to see this band live then jump at it. The energy coming from the singer is incredible. He's not running around the stage, it's just the energy from him. I took my buddy and we didn't know what to expect and both had our jaws dropped the whole. We kept looking at each other saying, ...!" Can't WAIT for the new tour for this new cd that you should buy!

Edju from NJ