I was into Johnny Foreigner’s Waited Up ‘til It Was Light in a big way during my first year of university, which was probably a fitting time to like it. In fact, I remember running through the centre of Cardiff to retrieve ID because the burly man on the door wouldn’t let us in to see JoFo support The Futureheads. Soaked with rain and sweat, I watched them play in front of a sparse, relatively lifeless crowd which they seemed disappointed in. I still enjoyed it though.
For whatever reason, Johnny Foreigner and I parted ways for a few years. Luckily I stumbled across their new album, You Can Do Better, and was delighted to find that they are every bit as energetic and fun as before. Opener ‘Shipping’ sets the tone and removes any doubts that JoFo had lost their frenetic sound. Every song that follows is of a similar intensity – not just fast or loud but fast and loud. Remember that rollercoaster on Final Fantasy VII, the one where you raced around a neon theme park shooting things? JoFo are sort of like the musical equivalent; hyper, noisy, addictive and prone to sudden changes in direction. The only let up is the (perhaps) unfortunately named ‘Gliff Richard,’ a decidely emo affair full off the melodramatic angst you would want from such a song.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/130449816″]
The album is out on Alcopop! Records, and you can get it here. If you are in the US, Lame-O Records are putting it out on vinyl, and you can grab it here.
Don’t stop believing in the band.