AUGUST & J – 40

When a CD landed in my mailbox recently, I was shocked by the contents of the music on it. I’ve known the guitarist (the J portion of August & J) a few years now via the internet, by being members of several common mailing lists concerning hard rock and metal. Having heard him talk about his music not necessarily totally reflecting his listening tastes, I was surprised to see how drastically different the music of their self-produced album 40 was from the hard rock and metal realm. And not that I have a problem with that either after soaking in what August & J are all about.

For starters, the music falls into a category that would actually appeal to two genres of music lovers: mellow melodic rock and country, but with less twang. But really, their sound defies categorization. Yes, it’s predominantly acoustic/laidback, and with the songwriting style that tells stories as opposed to just being lyrics to a song, but it rocks in its own way. I suppose if I had to lay any comparison towards them I’d say Danny Vaughn-ish in parts, later era Bon Jovi without being derivative, and almost Jacob Dylan-ey in places. The music is stripped down, bare, and pure raw emotion. Though stylistically it’s not entirely “my thing” I actually really like it. With tracks like “For Once,” “Searching For A Way,” “The Moon,” and “The Silence Won’t Do” August & J have really put together a great collection of songs.

To be an album produced by their selves, it’s amazingly crisp and sharp sounding. The excellent production strengthens the songs and performances greatly. I’m sure some folks will think I’ve gone easy on this album simply because I’ve known J, but that would be the furthest from the truth. It’s simply a good album that deserves some recognition. Don’t believe me? Then go to www.augustandj.com and listen for yourselves.

***1/2

Chris Martin

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)