Search - Channels :: Open

Short on Aggression for My Taste

MiseryCreek | Austin, TX United States | 10/26/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Since his Dischord days, J. Robbins work has seemed remarkably precious to me, especially considering a backgroung in the D.C. hardcore scene. What's kept me coming back for more is the fact that he has successfully tempered that preciousness with punk aggression and oddly timed pop hooks - a combination I've found irresistable across Jawbox and Burning Airlines.

Unfortunately, with Channels I'm finally only left with the preciousness. It's not that these songs don't have elements of Robbins previously displayed genius - they just don't have that aggressive edge that has characterized his earlier work. His choice of "Fear Is Man's Best Friend" by John Cale (whose post VU work is as precious as it gets) as a cover solidified my opinion on this.

Don't get me wrong - there's nothing offensive here. There's just nothing particularly exciting to my ears. If you've been hopefully awaiting the day that J. Robbins leaves visceral anger behind, this EP is for you."

Channels "Open" EP Makes 2004 look promising.

Steven Pierog | Chicago Heights, IL | 09/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up the CD on one of the best nights Chicago has seen in sometime. One the way home from the record store I was playing the disk very loud with the windows down, and looking at the best sunset I'v seen in awhile. When I got home I went to my somewhat dank basement sudio to listen to it again. I had to make sure that the awsome and trafficless drive home did not color the music too much. Mostly I wanted to hear it though some Mackie HR824's. Needless to say it was still great!!

The first track Starts so cool with a nice acoustic riff and some reverb soaked vocals, then kicks in to the J. Robbins we all know and love. After the intro it moves into electric bass and guitar, as well as a super tight sounding drum recording.

All you should have to listen to in the first few seconds of track two "Storytime in the Street of spies" and you'll be hooked on the creative drumming. The bass drum sounds so cool and huge in this song I still have goosebumps, even after hearing in from the website mp3 for a few months. Track three is a rocker of a song with a really bad-ass clap track breakdown. track four "Fear is a Mans Best Friend" is the first song we hear Janet Morgans vocals solo. I'd say the are very soft and floaty. (is that a word?)Her vocals almost remind me of Rachel Goswell from Slowdive and Mojave3. This track is a slower paced semi acoustic number with a few bursts of electric guitar mostly in the chorus... Is that a Hammond in the backgound?

Tracks two and five makes me think that J. Robbins might have been listening to some old Firewater or Skeleton Key records. Nothing wrong with that if that is the case. Track six starts off with some harmonics on the guitar and Janet singing softly over it. Then kicks in to some abrasive old school J. Robbins guitar riffs and some cool slow drumming. I like this CD very much it has a little of everything I loved about Jawbox and Burning Airlines, but with some nice change ups of it's own...Go out and Buy it."