Not only was Wild Sweet Orange's "We Have Cause To Be Uneasy" one of the best releases of 2008, it's an indie rock classic in my book. It garnered the band a lot of attention and positive reviews, an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, and opening slots for such bands as Counting Crows, Guster, Margot and the Nuclear So And So's and Augustana to name a few.
However, in July of 2009 bassist Garret Kelly and founding guitarist Taylor Shaw left the band, this after guitarist Matt Parsons had done the same earlier. Lead singer and main songwriter Preston Lovinggood tried to keep the band going, but obviously the magic had been lost and he finally announced the band was done in September of 2010. Shaw already had another project going in 2008 with The Great Book Of John, whose debut album "Yves' Blues", a mostly acoustic affair, came out that year. Leaving Wild Sweet Orange gave him the chance to dive fully into his new band.
Now The Great Book Of John have returned with their second full length, and it's quite the departure from their debut. Shaw is joined by fellow former Wild Sweet Orange members Chip Kilpatrick on drums, Rebekah Fox on vocals and the aforementioned Garret Kelly on keyboards, along with bassist Alex Mitchell ,on an album that certainly explores similar territory to a lot of WSO's material, but also branches out into both psychedelic and experimental rock directions. No matter what label you care to put on it, it's a fantastic listen and ranks as one of the best releases of 2011.
Produced by Remy Zero's Jeffery Cain and engineered by Darrell Thorp who has worked with the likes of Radiohead, Beck and Outkast, "The Great Book Of John covers a vast amount of musical terrain. Things kick right off with the huge, heavy guitar hook of "Robin Hood". "Let It Slide" delivers a wall of sound, with acoustic guitars driving the song at first but soon joined by strings, pounding drums and eventually atmospheric keyboards to bring the song to a dramatic close.
Things settle into a more acoustic based mood for a good portion of the middle section of the album. "Wise Blood" is a string heavy piece, while the acoustic guitar and piano based "Ashes Over Manhattan" may just be the loveliest song on here, though it has competition. The piano heavy "On And On" and vocal harmonies of "Cover My Eyes" are outstanding ballads as well.
"Simple Things" is another standout, mixing southern rock influences with a strong sense of melody on the dynamic chorus, exploding guitar work builds until the song comes cascading down to its close. Shaw and company have produced an album that wears its heart on its sleeve. Emotional, ballsy yet restrained when it needs to be, "The Great Book Of John" must be a part of the conversation when it comes to highlights of 2011. I'd consider it a must not just for fans of Wild Sweet Orange, but for fans of great music, period.
"The Great Book Of John" was released in the U.S. August 16, 2011 on the Communicating Vessels label.
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Purchase "The Great Book Of John" from the Communicating Vessels online store
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