JJ72
I To Sky
Lakota Recordings/Columbia

I must admit I've been looking forward to this album since I heard the Irish trios debut, which more than anything showed a young band with a lot of talent. Frontman Mark Greaney wrote some amazing melodies in songs like "Oxygen", "Snow" and "Undercover Angel".

I read an interview with Mark Greaney were he said, that he would focus on writing timeless songs that people will remenber for the next JJ72 album. So did he do that? Unfortunately the answer is no, there are not a lot of timeless songs on JJ72's second album I To Sky. Only the single "Formulae" and the ballad "Brother Sleep" have such strong melodies that you will remember them after the record ends.

Instead of focusing on the songwriting, it sounds like all the time has been spent on producing the album and making a killer sound. In that way JJ72 has succeded, the album is produced by Flood and Alan Moulder who have worked with artists like Depeche Mode, U2 and Smashing Pumpkins, and it all sounds pretty good. But a fine production cannot hide the lack of really good songs.

Now it sounds like I really hate this record, but don't, I To Sky is just not as good as expected. But JJ72 still have the talent and their own expression, they just have to get their focus back on the songwriting.

Copyright © 2002 Jacob Faurholt