Justine And The Unclean – “The Signal Light”
Justine And The Unclean – “The Signal Light” – Single Review
Ayyyy whaddya know…more kickass Rock to come out of the Boston scene! If you’ve been reading these pages of ours over the past couple years, you know I’ve had a lot to say about what’s been brewing over there…bands like Heavy AmericA, Falsely Accused, Cold Engines, Lurid Purple Flowers, and Fantastic Trees all come to mind & have been written about here fairly recently – which in itself should tell ya something, given that we’re a Canadian-based music site. But yes folks…I’m paying attention, always. If your city or town or village or wherever you call home is starting to make some serious noise, believe me, I’ve probably noticed and I won’t be the only one. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to witness a scene spark itself to life, or lived through an era of music that comes bursting outta one specific area, you know what the signs are – and I maintain, if you’re a true Rock/Alternative fan, you should have your ears on Boston right now. Not sure what they’re putting in the water over there, but something is definitely happening.
As far as this new single “The Signal Light” by Justine And The Unclean is concerned, you betcha – it’d fit right in with what’s happening in the scene over there, but perhaps help expand the sound even further out towards the fringes. Something like “The Signal Light,” for example, is like a wealth of influences combined…similar to what you’d get if you crossed 70s Rock staples like BTO, with the sparkling radness of 90s undergrounders like Belly, and infused with that menacing groove in the rhythm section you’d find in something more current like Viagra Boys. None of which would be, or need to be based outta Boston – I’m simply describing what you can expect from “The Signal Light” is all…think along the lines of Viagra Boys’ “Sports,” but like, you know…if it was made back in the late 60s/70s instead, shorter and more to the point without all the wandering into musical madness that VB does at the end of their mega-hit. There are also slight hints of surf-rock to be found in the guitars on “The Signal Light,” a punk spirit to it overall, a sound that could be found in Canadian Rock bands like on 54-40’s Dear Dear, and an energy that’s actually not all that far removed from early R.E.M. in the chorus of this cut too. Like I was tellin’ ya – it’s an amalgamation of a single that gives Justine And The Unclean multiple access points for the people out there listening to get into the music they’re making. No single one of these comparisons or similarities you’ll hear would quite describe it all, which is why you need a list of several ingredients & a whole bunch of artists/bands to make some sense in trying to describe Justine And The Unclean to ya.
In any event, whatever you might feel like they sound comparable to in your own assessment, they’re likely to get your attention just as much as they’ve gotten mine – I dig what I hear in “The Signal Light” and it really sounds like Justine And The Unclean play on a unified front. It’s a short sample size, I’ll admit that – but there’s also nothing but genuine professionalism radiating from this entire 2:22 single they’ve got here. Chances are, if there were cracks to be found in the band somewhere, we’d still hear’em showing up somewhere, even in a short tune like this one…but the reality is, this four-piece band has got a seriously seamless single goin’ on here, and a track that represents the band really well. All the pieces fit here…you’ve got pure excellence from Justine Covault on the vocals and guitar, stellar backing vocals and bass provided by Janet Egan King, solid axe work from Charles Hansen, and entirely reliable drums from Jim Janota…yes indeed dear readers, dear friends – the chemistry exists between them and it’s something you can hear as the riotous energy, melody, and harmonies surge in this single.
Word on the street is that they’ve got more music coming out around the corner as well this year. From what I understand, they’re probably putting the finishing touches on a brand-new record of some kind…I’m not sure if it’s a full album or an EP or what just yet – but new music is happening, and I’m sure about that. You can already find other pieces of it being floated around online…”The Chasm” is another pre-release single that’s available at Bandcamp, and it looks like they had a track called “Breaking The Devil Out Of Hell” being promoted just this past weekend too…so yeah folks…stay tuned, because Justine And The Unclean have clearly got the gears in motion, all hands on deck, and they’re ready to rock the living daylights outta 2023 for ya. “The Signal Light” is the official title cut from their upcoming record as far as I know…it sounds freakin’ great, and I’m stoked to hear the rest of the songs they’ve got to surround this centerpiece of their latest material…if it’s anything like this single here, count me in.
Find out more about Justine And The Unclean from their official page at Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/justineandtheunclean
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