Album Details

• Artist: Jr. Juggernaut
• Album: Ghost Poison
• Label: Suburban Home
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2008-06-22

Ghost Poison is record with a heartful of soul. Combining the working class alt-country of Uncle Tupelo and Ass Ponys, with a sonic touch of punk, JR. Juggernaut is another Seattle band with a bad name that makes great music.

Guitarist/Vocalist Mike Williamson at first, on "Lit By Winter" and "Believe in Something," seems to be aiming for a level of passion that his voice may not be able to reach. What saves the tunes from bar-band level is his guitar work, and sharp lyrics. His voice, though, blossoms big as the record advances, and "Gone Before You start" and "Midnight Mass" ought already to be standards of the genre. Heartache and heavy riffs abound here, and "Breathing, Grieving" and the closer, "The Beehive," are almost epic.

The band has shared the bill with the likes of Drag The River, Gourds and Burden Brothers. JR. Juggernaut belong in their league. Powerful, literate and Crazy Horse when they wanna be, the band is inspired throughout, and they sound as big as their themes. "Ghost Poison" is as solid and evocative an Americana release as you are likely to hear this year.

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