Out Now
Melbourne rock outfit Bad Juju are a band whose name has been popping up in my feed and emails for a while now, so when the opportunity came up to have a listen to their debut album Blue Heaven I thought why not?
I have to admit the word Blue in the album title did almost make me reconsider my stance (it’s a football thing, go Bombers), but seeing the mighty Dons emerged triumphant over Carlton earlier this year I elected to overlook this slight deterrent and move on.
Opening with the title track amid a sea of ambiance and tranquillity it doesn’t take long for the spark to ignite and vocalist Russell Holland to caress the microphone thrusting us into a rock-drenched number that has more hooks than a fishing trawler.
The track serves as a perfect appetizer of what is to come, with crisp production and delivery reminding me in parts of Shihad in their moments of rock greatness.
Hopefully that’s all of the blue out of the way…
Next up is one of the singles The Other Side which ignites with a synth section that gives a slightly nostalgic feel to proceedings.
The vocal delivery in this one shifts focus in parts, in more of a rap-inspired rock pitch that drifts in and out at beautifully timed junctures and acts as a stabilizing force to the more subdued vocal lines.
The guitar riff in this track is the stand-out feature for mine, dictating terms in an almost passive-aggressive fashion that adds a nice touch.
The softer strains of Walking Away take centre stage and already this song has the feel of waving lighters written all over it.
The press release promised “raw and honest music with powerful emotional heft” and they weren’t just throwing adjectives around to spice things up.
There is an underlying sense of sorrow permeating from all of the tracks so far without ever slipping into the whoa-is-me mundaneness that so often accompanies music of a deeply personal nature.
Another of the singles Nothing To Give fires out of the blocks next with a significantly up-tempo feel courtesy of a solid drum fill that is soon drowned out by a rush of guitars signalling intent.
Holland’s vocals are the cornerstone of each offering, his ability to alternate between insular, sorrowful tones and more aggressive – yet still emotionally draining – moments of intensity a feature.
A nice guitar/drum breakdown midway through punctuated by harsher vocal screams showcases yet another string in Bad Juju’s arsenal before pulling back again with almost angelic whispers amid the sonic chaos.
Mark this one down as my personal fave so far.
Raincoat brings things down a notch with an acoustic opening salvo that leads into a measured and patient soft rock number that ticks all the right boxes but lacks that punch that a man of my limited attention span commands.
Misery Sticks To Me opens with a haunting guitar run that expands into an angst-riddled tune that is much tougher than its pace would suggest.
It sounds strange to call a song aggressive when it has such an even-tempered flow to it, but there is something sinister at play here that I can’t quite put my finger on.
But I know I like.
Tough guitars and even tougher vocals combine to give grit and purpose to a song that would likely fall flat in the hands of many other bands. Hell, there’s even a bit of a gang chant in there!
Swirling guitars introduce Tired Of Running which has more urgency about it and effectively carries the gang vocals from Misery Sticks To Me through into the next passage. I’m even picking up shades of Beartooth here in parts, which is high praise indeed.
The song subsides halfway through courtesy of a solid drum breakdown that also sees Holland slow the pace down momentarily before hitting the go button.
The line “we’ve got nothing left to lose, and we’ve got everything to prove” pretty much sums up the whole of Blue Heaven to this point.
Bad Juju aren’t trying to be like anyone else or appeal to the masses. They are simply writing and playing to the best of their ability which is more than enough.
House Of Greed is another slow burner, with drummer Drue Herring laying down a balanced and sustained platform that allows the rest of the rhythm section room to ease in and out and accentuate their performances.
Me vs You has a bit of a hazy feel about it initially that rolls beautifully into a more retro-sounding track with enough modernization to place it firmly in the chasm that is music past, present and future.
It is a rocking number that folds back into itself and emerges triumphant and unique. Very rare in modern music.
It even manages to squeeze in some solid hand claps as a prelude to more chaotic intent towards the back end of the song that sees Holland intensifying his vocal attack more and more before the song snaps to a close and Dear Mother rolls into its place courtesy of another tasty guitar lick that has Aussie rock written all over it.
The ability of Bad Juju to write banging rock songs with strong leanings towards the softer end of the scale is impressive and difficult to pigeonhole.
So I won’t bother trying.
I Know What You Did sounds like blackmail to me, but I press forward safe in the knowledge I haven’t done anything wrong.
Today.
To say Bad Juju write safe songs would be misleading but also correct. Each song has a comforting sincerity about it with definite radio-friendly undertones, but each also manages to sprinkle enough radio-unfriendly material sporadically that you could never accuse them of selling out.
As much as I am enjoying this Holland’s repeated insistence telling me he knows what I did has become a little disconcerting, so I move on to album closer The Boulevard which starts with a forceful and quick drum roll that soon settles into a measured and steady track that would be the closest to a ballad Blue Heaven has come so far.
Even though it isn’t one. Not in the strict sense of the word anyway.
But it is an accessible and deliberate-sounding track that leaves a pleasant taste in your sonic palate.
Bad Juju are definitely worth the hype and Blue Heaven is most definitely worth a listen. The scary thing is this is the band’s debut album so where they go from here is anyone’s guess.
But I have a feeling chance won’t be playing much of a part in Bad Juju’s future.
*All reviews in HEAVY are just one person’s opinion of the album. We encourage honesty in reviews but just because our reviewer may or may not like/appreciate an album, that doesn’t mean their opinion is right! We encourage you to have a listen for yourself and make up your own minds!*
