John Keenan – Wreckage Of The Past

John Keenan – Wreckage Of The Past – Album Review

Alright…so…my gut tells me we’re probably still a bit ahead of the game here.  First off, I’ve got eighteen tracks from John Keenan’s brand-new record called Wreckage Of The Past, which is already too long by that count – but his official website also mentions that this album will have twenty-three cuts in total.  Then there’s the whole thing about the order of the track listing…we’re really going with alphabetical here John-o?  That seems…hmm…like a choice that can be made – and I’ll leave it at that.  This release date is right around the corner though yo – Wreckage Of The Past comes out officially on September 14^th according to my notes here…or September 7^th if you’re going by Keenan’s main site.  Where can we get some accurate information around here?  Good lord knows I ain’t gonna be the guy to give it to ya.  You get the point though – this album is coming real damn soon.  Check the net it might be out by now.

He might keep it loose when it comes to the operational duties of a website and have a little less focus when it comes to the concrete details in the information he provides, but John’s always been solid and reliable when it’s been time to hit the studio booth.  We both kind of laugh behind the scenes whenever we reconnect online, because I don’t think either of us really expected that we’d still be doing what we do at this point in time – I first started listening to this dude way the hell back in 2013!  Some of you tadpoles reading this article probably weren’t even born yet.  God damn I’m old.  Keenan’s got a highly defined style that is pretty much unmistakable though – I could pick this dude’s music out of a playlist blindfolded without question, and pushing play on “Afraid To Try” was like a blast from the past.  Hell, it might very well be – while I don’t know the specifics for each and every track, my understanding is that Wreckage Of The Past is somewhat a collection of songs John didn’t feel like he got right in the past, so he hired some additional help in the form of a bass player and recorded it with an engineer overseeing the project.  It sounds good without a doubt, but yeah…a track like “Afraid To Try” could easily be the 2013 version of John Keenan or the one that exists in 2025 today.  JK’s got a signature style, and you’ll get a hit of that as he gives you a sample of his rhythmic roll in the vocal flow as Wreckage Of The Past begins and “Afraid To Try” kicks things off.  It’s good energy and welcome sound as far as my ears are concerned – plus, whatever’s happening in the music around the 1:30 mark is worth the price of admission.  He’s “raw with it,” as he’ll tell ya himself…but “Afraid To Try” works perfect as an opener.

There’s always been excellent balance in what John can do.  Sure, he’s gonna be categorized as a Hip-Hop artist at the end of the day I’m sure, but I think the reality has always been that he’s just as equally interested in the dynamics of Pop music when it comes right down to it.  Maybe even a little Disco in the mix at times too, but we’ll let that slide and put it all under the Pop umbrella.  Anyhow – you can hear what I’m talking about by pushing play on any given tune – it’s always been important to Keenan for him to handle his own hooks.  I know he’s had a featured guest appear here & there over the years, but for the most part, what you’re usually hearing in a John Keenan song is exactly that – John Keenan.  You listen to a track like “Again She Lies” and you know why that is.  Why farm out the work when you can handle your business in-house, you feel me?  I’ve long felt like Keenan’s main strengths are actually found in the hooks and the melodies he creates, more-so than what you hear in the man’s bars.  Don’t get it twisted – I like both, which is why I told ya he’s got great balance.  He does – you can hear it in tracks like “Again She Lies” as it switches between its parts.  You’ll also appreciate that a track like “Again She Lies” dives into deeper subject matter than you might usually find from the guy – John tends to keep things light, but a track like this confirms that he can combine substance & style professionally.

Is there a risk in having RFK Jr.’s voice appear like…anywhere on somebody’s album?  YES.  Fuck man, I don’t wanna hear that croaker talking for any reason, let alone while I’m sitting here trying to enjoy some music.  But I’m Canadian…maybe that’s just the way I see it from the outside looking in.  You can hear on “Decide I Could Change” that John’s at least got some love and respect for what Kennedy is saying in the samples he’s used – and to be fair, I can also hear that I agree with a lot of what he’s saying too.  It’s not so much about the words with that guy as it is about his actions – dude’s incredibly suss.  That being said, I’ve never been one of those people that thinks everything is as simple as black & white – I live in the grey area, where it’s possible to appreciate an idea or a philosophy that someone puts out there, even if it comes from the mouth of someone that you’d regularly disagree with on just about everything else.  In any event, I like what I hear on “Decide I Could Change” and the message that John is pumping out here.  Leading by example in understanding that none of us are perfect but we’re all capable of positive change, this track’s an empowering personal anthem that reinforces the good stuff.  Hooks are on-point, the melody is great, and the message of unity & community is important to absorb.

So while you might feel like John has a similar approach to what he does track after track because of his signature style possessing so much tangible identity, when he makes moves, however slight they may be to change things up, you’ll notice’em.  Like a track like “Don’t Need Mine” for example – it stands out, because it’s a little darker and a little deeper in the sound, in addition to the low octave vocals that John will add to it along the way.  The main hooks will brighten it up just a bit, but it still remains a track that stands out by comparison to what you’ve heard to this point on Wreckage Of The Past.  You can’t fault a person for drawing on their strengths.  I might believe that John’s still got room to switch things up in an even more decisive and noticeable way to flex his talent & stretch creatively, but there’s no harm in doing what you know works too.  “Don’t Need Mine” is a solid example of how he’s able to slightly tweak his sound and how that’ll catch your attention all over again.  Hard to resist hooks like these ones.

John’s “always pulling tons of bitches” eh?  I’m clearly hanging out with the wrong crowd.  I pulled one bitch, and proudly married her right away.  Twenty-plus years later down the road, here we are.  John makes “Getting Hella Bitches” sound AMAZING though…and I’m questioning my decisions in life, at least for a second or two whenever I listen to this track.  Should I have spent more time working on my body count before putting a ring on it?  Perhaps.  Anyhow…all joking aside, I’ma be real with ya – “Getting Hella Bitches” is THE track of ALL tracks within the first five cuts on Wreckage Of The Past…like, to me, there’s no comparison.  I appreciate that Keenan has taken some of the material on this record into what would have to be considered to be more meaningful terrain, sure – but at the same time, when the man lightens up and gives things a bit of a comedic edge, he’s always found tremendous success.  “Getting Hella Bitches” speaks volumes on behalf of the fun-loving John Keenan that none of us can help but be into.  He’s essentially tellin’ ya directly that he’s been pimpin’ so hard he’ll take your girl right in front of you & turn her out, because ladies naturally love Cool J(ohn).  Honestly y’all – you’ll be blown away by how much fun “Getting Hella Bitches” is to listen to, and what a quality song it really is at the core of it all.  Listening to him shout out “I probably known a million bitches” makes me smile every time.  All the lines in this song do.  They make me smile, and make me realize I should pimp much more.

That last one’s gonna be a tough one to top, but I gotta admit, “How It Has To Be” sounded like it had the perfect amount of bounce to keep this ship steady.  Heck, I might even be inclined to say that “How It Has To Be” came out as another incredibly strong track that’d be considered among the album’s best.  It possesses a wild degree of appeal and accessible sound to it…this is pretty universal sound and vibes at work all said & done.  I dig that Keenan lets the music have a bit more of a moment on “How It Has To Be” as well.  In many ways, a track like this is classic Keenan to the nth degree when you’re considering what the man is doing on the mic and the similarities in the vocal flow he puts into many of his tunes, but he establishes some concrete differences in the way the music plays more of a starring role on this cut.  It’s also fair to say that, while you’ll pretty much always find comparisons to be made in the way that John hits the m-i-c, make no mistake, it takes a metric ton of skill to do what he does the way that he does it.  Try and spit one of the verses from “How It Has To Be” for yourself & you’ll see what I mean.  Everything about this track sounds stunningly professional, but equally entertaining for the masses too.

As for “I Blame Him,” it feels a little less consequential by comparison.  I dig the introspective style of track that John’s working with – “the man in the mirror really hates me, but he never really listens so I blame him” – that’s insightful stuff, and relatable too.  Is it accountability?  In a way.  And in a way, it’s not.  Does he really need to be held accountable for his actions?  Is John Keenan really THAT hardcore?  Sure he likes to be pimpin’ when he can…maybe enjoys a substance or two…but don’t we all?  Maybe the man’s just being too hard on himself.  “I Blame Him” is a solid example of a track that’s essentially doing all the right things, but still stands the chance of being overlooked.  Partly due to its shorter length, partly due to material that’s speaking on fairly well worn terrain, and partly due to the fact that the priorities shift more towards the words than tangible hooks this time around.  Chances are, people listening will remember what’s happening in the chorus, which is fair because the hooks work well there – but if you’re really listening to “I Blame Him,” you’ll recognize the real substance is found in the verses.

“John’s Groove V” is freakin’ great!  Heck, we all tuned in to hear the guy rap and whatnot, but lest we forget, the dude’s got some talent as a music maker too.  Going all-instrumental for “John’s Groove V” was a righteously good call – not because I don’t wanna hear the guy’s voice anymore, but because he’s done right by his song here.  As I’ve said millions of times on these pages of ours, if what you’re doing doesn’t add to a song, it’s probably taking something away instead – so if you’re not sure of what to do or how to go about it, you’re best off leaving it for now.  I am actually fully confident that there’s a really good chance we’ll hear “John’s Groove V” show up again one day with John’s vocals on it, because I can hear so much opportunity to make this a massive banger, and I’m sure that he’ll eventually hear that too if he’s not already by now.  As it stands though, great tune – I love what I’m hearing in the music and in the guitars on “John’s Groove,” and everything surrounding the axe-work sounds great too.  I’m not at all suggesting it’ll get better with vocals added, but I am saying there’s a strong chance that it COULD.  Keenan was wise to leave this as a blank canvas until that inspiration comes to him though.  With as much character and spark as “John’s Groove” has to it already now in its instrumental form, Keenan is definitely gonna want to make sure he’s got something bulletproof to add if he steps to the mic for this.

One of the most tangibly different tracks you’ll find on the record for John’s vocals is “Justin One.”  For the most part, this dude will pack his bars from wall to wall with as many syllables as he can squeeze in, but “Justin One” is an excellent example of how he can use extra space to his advantage.  Sure, I suppose that it could be argued that a track like this is a little bit less of the Keenan we know by comparison to the rest of the cuts surrounding him, but it’s not so much of a departure that you wouldn’t recognize the guy all of a sudden.  I just think it was a good move is all.  Switch things up.  Do things differently.  Make yourself uncomfortable, create, and see what happens.  Hiring the bassist was a good idea, and you can hear the effect of that on “Justin One” – it might very well be the biggest highlight moment for that instrument on this whole album overall.  Yeah…in some ways, I wasn’t as immediately sure about “Justin One” at first, but I feel like this track convinced me it deserves to be here.  I love the opening lines the most I think…John’s got that like, Cali-based drip goin’ on with his vocals, sounding like he’s comin’ straight outta Long Beach as “Justin One” heads into cruise control.

I braced myself for “Letter To The President,” because like…well…this could go either way, couldn’t it?  Keenan’s already had RFK Jr. appear on this album, so I’m cautious.  Which president are ya sending a letter to, and WHY Mr. Keenan?  How political are you bout to get here son?  Thankfully, I can confirm that John’s gone the right route with this track…because lest I remind you, whether you’re on the left wing or the right, you’re attached to the same damn bird y’all.  The system itself is so fucked that while I’m sure we can all say there is a ‘worse’ side for each of us as individual in what we believe to some degree, can we be honest and at least admit that the main two sure fucking suck right now?  Even here in Canada we’re slowly drifting towards a two-party system, and that’s stupid as hell.  The idea that we have to pigeonhole our potential and narrow things down to the tiniest number of candidates when doing the opposite would open things up so much more for the future ahead…I mean, it’s crazy, right?  Anyhow.  John calls out everyone equally throughout this track, and makes sure that it’s understood that “leadership is evil when it turns on its people.”  He’s got a ton of valid, insightful points to make on this track, and he’ll make’em crystal clear for ya – and you know something?  I appreciate it.  Whatever it is you believe, say it with your whole damn chest and be prepared to stand behind your words.  On “Letter To The President,” Keenan proves he’s a true man of the people when sharing his perspective, and not only did that work out really well for him, this became one of the album’s stronger tracks.

He’s been wrestling with religion on a few of these tracks you’ll find throughout Wreckage Of The Past, and rightly so I’d reckon.  It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, so to hear anyone out there is struggling to find their faith or feel like they’re not sure of what to believe in…I mean…that SHOULD be the way you feel, shouldn’t it?  A track like “Mafia Six Song” has a WEIRD-ASS title for what it’s really all about, but maybe there’s something I’m missing with respect to that choice of moniker.  As John makes clear, it’s not a matter of God leaving him so much as it was John leaving God and religion – “having faith is hard,” as he says…and I think that’s true to a degree.  I think I have all kinds of faith – none of it based in religion or God, but to me, real faith comes in a variety of forms and it’s an important thing to have in some way, shape, or form – even if it’s just as simple as faith in yourself.  For myself personally, I look at the whole universe like this…I have faith in balance.  The good and the bad.  Steps forward and steps backward.  I was eating good and living well for the most part in life, and by the end, I expect I’ll be homeless and eating bugs…because balance, in all things.  If not in this lifetime, than certainly in the next.  I like the extra emphasis that John’s puttin’ into this track – the words are the star of the show on this thought-provoking cut…”Mafia Six Song” is the kind of moment that you can learn something from.

Hmmm…let’s see here…what do I think about “Misfits Aim?”  I think it’s another strange title, that’s what I think, but I suppose all songs gotta be called something, right?  I like the subtle way that it opens, and I like that it shows a depth of sound that pulls you in quickly too…like you get the sense immediately that John’s got something important to say on this particular track.  While I relatively think that’s fairly true of most of his tunes and didn’t really feel like “Misfits Aim” shows us that much more than any of the rest do, I dig what he’s got goin’ on here for the most part.  I might have to give it up for the finale of this track though – that’s the main highlight, and it’s kind of what I was saying before about highlighting the music, the advantage of space, and doing the right things for the song.  If I was to go back and redo “Misfits Aim” and I were John Keenan?  I would absolutely feature those hooks that come in around the 2:25 mark way more than just at the end of this song.  I get it, he’s a vocalist primarily and this part of his song is without vocals – but facts are facts too y’all…when you’re presented with what every set of ears would consider to be the main hooks, then you gotta run with that.  So…in a sense, I like that John has done a lot of things differently with “Misfits Aim” and that this track alone provides an immense amount of versatility and diversity to this record – but I think he might have left 10-20% of the potential for this track still on the table.  That being said, the main vocal hooks are memorable too…so it’s hard to say.  Time will tell the ultimate tale, but I suspect there’s a remix of this cut that could make “Misfits Aim” even better than it already is, which is saying something, because it’s a solid tune as it stands now.

Do I feel the same way about “No Stress At All” right afterwards?  Kinda!  John’s puttin’ in the WORK and finding some really great ideas in the music and melodies he’s creating…and I don’t want that to fly over the people’s heads or go unnoticed.  There are some solid hooks in the music that he’s got hidden for the great reveal deep into this track towards the end, but to be completely fair to the guy, he’s also got some highly memorable hooks in the vocals that occur well before that point.  I’d go as far as to say that “No Stress At All” will probably have no issues becoming universally loved by Keenan’s audience and the folks tuning in for the first time.  It’s got that classic feeling of a great JK track, that bright energy and spirited sound that works so well for him, and lyrically, he continues to push himself to add more substance than he has in the past as well.  Let’s be real here – in the past, you’d probably find a whole lot more tracks like “Getting Hella Bitches” than what you’ll find on Wreckage Of The Past, where a cut like that is more of an anomaly in the lineup.  Will the added seriousness prove to be too much weight?  Will the masses let the man make changes to his methods and material without giving him too much grief for trying new things?  Again, time will tell the full story.  I like what he’s got going on in “Misfits Aim” and “No Stress At All” back-to-back though.  I might still want those musical hooks to have more time or presence within each song, but by the same token, I will absolutely take what I can get as well.

The main question is, would I cut this right down to size if I was in charge of the lineup of songs, or potentially even split this collective works of John Keenan’s past & present into two records?  100% you fucking bet I would.  We’re on what…track…fourteen?  As much good material as there has been on this album, you’re still going to feel the pinch points of restlessness creep in when you’ve got that many songs going on, or at least like there are some tracks that can’t command your attention span the way that others can…and the last thing you want people doing is tuning out.  You wanna keep’em feeling like they just barely got enough, rather than overload them with too much that it ends up drowning out the potential for some of the songs to make the impact they should.  Like, take a track like “Put Down My Soul” for example…it’s good!  Would it be more noticeable in a lineup of ten cuts or resonate more strongly with us on a shorter record?  Probably.  You might even think this track was great and not just good in that kind of context, but surrounded by so much material…I dunno…my worry is that his efforts on a track like “Put Down My Soul” are going to get a little bit lost in a project as large as this is.  Of course, that could be the case for any of the songs (with the exception of “Getting Hella Bitches,” obv) – the point is always the same…albums are rarely perfect when they feature more than twelve tracks at the most, and usually, going far beyond that is often an indication that objectivity has eluded the artist.

The PERFORMANCE that John puts into “Raised By Rhyme” makes this track worth it – dude hauls out ALL the vocal chops to get you listening to this cut, and it works!  I also like the lyrical content when it comes right down to it as well…the material is strong at its core, and Keenan has no problem selling it to ya.  Plus, it’s another track that has some real stand-out bass playing in the mix for ya too.  The hooks are some of the most guaranteed to get your head noddin’ in approval and your bum bouncin’ in your seat as you listen…it’s got a ton of personality to it, and that’s really its main feature.  A track like “Raised By Rhyme” basically leaps straight outta your speakers and into your ears, and that’s obviously a huge positive.  I don’t know how I personally felt about the main hooks overall.  On the one side, I can certainly recognize that they work, they’re effective, and that they’re verifiably memorable.  On the flipside of that coin…I dunno…they echo the youthful spirit that John is rapping about, so I guess they fit, but they do kind of feel a little juvenile or like…maybe less challenging than they should be somehow?  I don’t know that I know how to express what I’m feeling here, but what I can tell you, is that “Raised By Rhyme” was one of the few cuts on this record where I felt like the verses far outshined the main hooks.

The conversation that John has with us at the very beginning of “Refining My Pages” is worthy of an award.  For what you ask?  Jeez…I dunno…honesty?  Perspective?  Unfiltered, introspective truths?  “Refining My Pages” is an interesting track on several levels, and in my opinion, it’s easily up there with the best cuts you’ll find in the lineup of Wreckage Of The Past by quite a margin.  Like, you really get to know the man behind the music here…and call me crazy, but I appreciate that.  John’s natural voice almost sounds like he could do a mean impression of Will Arnett if he wanted to…you know, the one and only Lego Batman…complete with the right sprinkle of sarcasm and undeniable awesomeness.  Half the time I’d listen to “Refining My Pages” I’d spend thinking about how I’d listen to this guy do Spoken Word anytime if he decided go that route, and whether reading a comic book or the freakin’ Iliad, I’d tune in.  The passion for the craft, the desire to rap, and the underlying enthusiasm is all revealed in full color on this track, as vividly as you could ever imagine.  Keenan lets you in on the inside when it comes to this song, and I think it was completely the right move – I love everything about “Refining My Pages,” 100%.  Even the transition from the Spoken Word intro into the main song is a masterclass on how to go about doin’ it right – you hear this song spring to life the moment that it’s time for Keenan to start rappin’ at full speed, and the sample he’s used later on in this track was the chef’s kiss – everything works here.

Still praising JK’s performance on “The Next Though,” even though I recognize that it’s got a tougher spot to fill in the lineup coming after such a complete cut in “Refining My Pages” right before it.  Do I think the material itself is strong enough to fit here?  I think we can have a debate about that to an extent…I mean, if it’s a twenty-three track album, then have at’er at this point I’d reckon, but otherwise I’d probably be more on the fence about its inclusion.  It’s hard to say though – the right performance can take a track a very long way, and combined with the sage wisdom he conveys here, like how “there’s more to life than hos” – I mean…there are still plenty of valid reasons to listen to “The Next Though.”  Is it the strongest track on the album?  No.  Does it need to be?  Also no.  There are dynamics that come along with every album we listen to, and regardless of our intentions, there’s gonna be peaks and valleys in everything we listen to.  I like the playfulness of a song like this, but I can still recognize that it might not quite measure up enough when stacked against the very best of the best you’ll hear on this record.

Mr. Keenan’s alphabetical order might actually pay off for him in the end.  Not only was “Afraid To Try” a solid opener, but “Things Ain’t Right” might arguably be an even better ending.  I know this much – I’d be happy if the lineup kept these two tracks as the beginning and ending, but be warned…Keenan’s pre-release details were so damn sketchy that I am questioning EVERYTHING when it comes to what I’m hearing versus what the final product might actually be this September 14^th, or 7^th…stay tuned on that.  “Things Ain’t Right” is a quality cut to go out on though – and talk about peaks & valleys, they aren’t just found in music – they exist in LIFE too, which is kind of what this particular track is really all about I guess.  As I’ve said many times…Keenan’s rap is strong, but his ability to create hooks and sing’em, is probably that much stronger.  I know that’s not likely what he wants to hear based on the conversation he has at the start of “Refining My Pages,” but I gotta call thing like I hear’em.  I can’t imagine I’m alone in feeling that way – LISTEN to how smooth the vocals and singing are on a track like “Things Ain’t Right” and try to convince me I’m wrong!  Ain’t gonna happen.  In another life, John Keenan could have been at the helm of a boy band…and while I’m thankful that neither of us are on that timeline, I still think this guy needs to really be objective about where his main skills reside, and then like, lean real hard into’em.  He’s done X-amount of albums as John Keenan the Hip-Hop artist – but what would happen if he chose to just sing it out for a record or two?  Would the world implode?  Would his whole fan-base leave him?  Would he potentially find another avenue for his creativity that might work wonders for him?  Stephen King wrote a shit ton of books as Richard Bachman…Julian Casablancas can’t do everything he wants to do in The Strokes, so he started The Voidz…and the list goes on and on…we can lead more than one life when it comes to our creativity.  Explore it and have fun – that’s what it’s all about, right?  While I know Wreckage Of The Past could certainly use a trim here & there, it’s got a ton of the heart and personality that we love to hear from this artist, and ends on one of its strongest moments with “Things Ain’t Right.”

Find out more about John Keenan from his official website online at:  https://www.johnkeenanonline.com

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