Trashbox Records (2008)

Another in a line of emo-flavored rock bands, God or Julie has put out a solid CD in This Road Before.

The group consists of the brothers Johnson (Adam and Jon Paul) along with Matt Hogan and Aaron Stern. Jon Paul plays guitar and keys, sings lead, and carries the bulk of the songwriting load. Though blues was the first music that the Johnsons began playing, Jon Paul strays far from typical blues storytelling to create lyrics more emotive and enigmatic.

Musically, the band doesn’t differentiate itself much from the usual array ranging from My Chemical Romance to Panic at the Disco, The Fray to Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World to Fall Out Boy. Vocally is where the band rises above, with Jon Paul drawing comparisons to other passionate leads such as Jimmy Gnecco of Ours or Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace.

“White” truly stands out in an ethereal, slow song with a much different sound than the rest of the CD. It’s the type of song you can listen to a half-dozen times in a row listening to the nuances.

While “White” is the last official song on the disc (the CD has three “bonus tracks”), the CD kicks off with some high energy in “Nothing Further From the Truth.” Jon Paul turns in another great vocal performance in the third track, “Say Goodbye,” and the band delivers a very pop-oriented catchy tune in “Being Human.”

As for those bonus tracks, it’s a good thing they were added to the CD as “Oxygen” and “Fallen Soldier” are very strong songs. Most of the rest of the tracks on the disc fall into the aforementioned trap of not standing out compared to so many other bands, but there are enough jewels to make this CD worth a serious listen.

God or Julie will make an appearance in state, performing at Cattle Annie’s in Lynchburg along with Chevelle and Finger Eleven on March 12.

Tim W. Jackson was once in a rock band. Then he realized he had no talent.