reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Joon - The Uncanny Valley

Lakeland three-piece Joon has spent over a year garnering material for an interesting debut that wields together quick pop gems with cloudy-headed sleeper tunes. It seems native frontman Shayne Soderstrom might have spent some childhood time hanging around the zoo, as tracks are given titles like "Crocodile Fears" and "Electric Eel Song." Synth melodies take forefront over dreamlike compositions and don't cover much new ground, which will be apparent to initiated listeners of an (aging) scientific, outer space sound. Lyrics like "I set the shutter speed so slow that you're a blur/ One day I won't remember who you were" come off as charming, though undeniably elementary. Still, The Uncanny Valley is a statement for what young, hard-working bands can accomplish under a shoestring budget. Punchy bass lines, muted guitars and heavy programming fill most of the album, although "Like a Bear in a Birdcage" finds these labcoat-wearers venturing into straightforward, four-four rock territory (a move that doesn't match the expansiveness of other songs, though the contrasting result ain't half bad). Listeners can watch them progress sonically and lyrically, as production has already begun on a second full length. - Kevin Wilder