Junip, Fields (Mute Corporation, 2010)

A Swede of Argentine descent, singer/guitarist José González has developed a respectable following in folk and alternative circles in recent years both as a solo artist and as a contributing singer to the group Zero 7. However, he had previously released an EP in Sweden as part of a band called Junip, with a pair of long-time friends Tobias Winterkorn (keyboards) and Elias Araya (drums). Junip recently re-united after a five-year hiatus, and their new album Fields is their first full-length release.

While González' characteristically dry vocals are unmistakeable, the backing of Winterkorn and Araya gives Junip a very different sound than people familiar with González' solo album In Our Nature might expect. Winterkorn's proficiency on electric piano, Moog, and organ are heavily influenced by the progressive rock of bands like Yes and Pink Floyd, and Araya's solid but steady percussion give the songs a good energy. Fields winds up having a considerably edgier overall sound than In Our Nature had. This may not please every José González fan, but I found it to be a refreshing change of pace.

Fields starts out particularly well, with two excellent tracks in "In Every Direction" and the single "Always." While these are the best two songs, the rest of the album is at least decent. "Rope & Summit" comes across as space-age jazz, and Araya's insistent drumming on "It's Alright" really enhances González' finger-picking. "Howl" and "Off Pont" have a driving rhythm that would have been out of place on In Our Nature, yet fit nicely here.

I already knew that José González was a promising upcoming artist, but I guess I can count Junip as a promising band as well. People who liked In Our Nature will definitely want to check Fields out, although I don't think Junip and José González' solo work will appeal to exactly the same audience.

Overall grade: B+

reviewed by Scott

An in-studio performance of "Rope and Summit"

José González, In Our Nature (Mute Records, 2007)

A Swede of Argentinian descent, José González first came to my attention when he contributed a few songs to Zero 7's 2006 album called The Garden. His own music is considerably less electronic, however. Gonzalez deftly blends standard folk guitar styles with those of South America, and usually doesn't require more than some light percussion for accompaniment. Many of the songs on his second album In Our Nature are thematically linked, revolving around warfare and the need for humanity to resist its darkest impulses.

González may lack a broad vocal range, but he knows how to work around his limitations. For one thing, he writes melodies that affect the listener without making too many demands on his voice. It also helps that he is a superb guitar player. His rhythmic style of fingerpicking gives his songs some lift and energy even without much instrumental backing. The best example of his playing is the song "Killing for Love.". This song also includes the album's best lyric -- "You've got a heart filled with passion; will you let it burn for hate or compassion?" Another revelation on In Our Nature is a cover of the song "Teardrop" by the electronica group Massive Attack. I definitely need to find the original now.

In Our Nature is a solid effort from a performer with a considerable amount of promise. If you're interested in acoustic music with a bit of a South American flavor, you'll find José González much to your liking.

Overall grade: A-

reviewed by Scott

The video for "Killing for Love"

Zero 7, The Garden (Atlantic, 2006)

Zero 7 revolves around the songwriting, producing, keyboard playing, and programming tandem of Englishmen Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. They work with a core of backing musicians that includes Dedi Madden on guitar, Robin Mullarkey on bass, and Tom Skinner, but have used a rotation of singers over the years. Their sound is generally described as "electronica", but that label is too narrow to describe the Zero 7 sound; yes there are plenty of synthesizers and electronic effects, but the music tends to be laid back, with a strong soul influence. For the third Zero 7 album The Garden, the primary vocalists are Swedish singer José González, a newcomer to the Zero 7 fold, and returning member Sia Furler. Both have active solo careers complementing their work with Zero 7. Sia is best known for the song "Breathe Me" that played in the final sequence of the series finale of Six Feet Under. Binns plays an active role in supplying the backing vocals for the first time, and even sings lead on "Your Place."

As with the previous Zero 7 album When It Falls, The Garden contains a number of likable songs, and the collaborations with different singers bring a healthy amount of variety to the mix. Sia's soulful vocals succeed at being sexy in a way that's smooth and subdued, not raunchy or over-the-top. Her highlights on this disc are the waltzy "Pageant Of The Bizarre" and the snappy "This Fine Social Scene." González contrasts this with songs that are a bit darker and more cerebral. The acoustic-flavored opening song "Futures" features some fine multi-tracked harmonies, and the simmering extended piece "Crosses" is carried along by a very distinctive riff on the electric piano.

For all the electronics, Zero 7 aim to make music that's accessible to mainstream rock and pop audiences in addition to alternative audiences, and they generally succeed. Unfortunately for them, The Garden is the hardest kind of album to promote commercially; it contains many pretty good songs, but lacks an obvious single. This would have hindered their chances for a breakthrough in the past too, but in the current age of iTunes, iPods, and single-song downloads, they're really fighting an uphill battle. This is unfortunate, as The Garden works very nicely as a whole, and gets better with repeated listens.

Overall grade: B+

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