TRUNKY JUNO has been called ‘lo-fi’ in an attempt to slot him nicely into an ever more complicated musical map.
And while some of the trademarks of that sub- (micro- ?) genre are definitely there, I would – to groans, necessarily – propose herewith that actually our dear Mr. Juno be referred to as ‘wide-fi’.
It’s a little underproduced – and that’s a compliment, and Trunky’s unashamed in reaching to his apothecary’s shelf and pulling down demijohns of whatever pop elements he fancies adding to the blend.
But there isn’t much of that misted-window, drizzly dusk introspection in Trunky Juno’s medicines – it’s big, it’s bloody widescreen, it swoons and it’s in love with love.
His new four-track EP, Too Many Teeth, has huge spatulas of pop!; shaken, not stirred.
Opener “Patrick Swayze” is a defiantly hazy pop swoon. “Here comes that dream again, where I’m Patrick Swayze and I want you to dance with me,” he croons over a yearning waltz, which somehow seems to borrow from the state of grace that Spiritualized achieve so effortlessly – but in a pop way.
“So Cool” has that cleverly dumbass thang that it’s impossible not to grin at. Has he really managed to blend US alt.rock singalong with the timeless soul hooks of The Mighty Wah!, and some shredding? Damn, he just might have. That’s weird. (Apparently it’s about blasting old Weezer tracks in the garage).
“It’s A Trip” – has this sorta classic 1982/3 stately pop texture and periodically mugs it with slacker fuzz; whereas closer “I’m Just As Scared As You Are” unashamedly steals the easy melodic guitar twang and vocal phrasing of solo George Harrison – with a little falsetto, natch. Oh, and a psychedelic whirr of an instrumental middle-eight.
Building a cultish following in his native North East, I don’t doubt that quite soon Trunky Juno’s lo-fi cult cup will brimmeth over, and he’ll drip into the mainstream, a much-needed romantic pop prankster.
Trunky Juno’s Too Many Teeth is available now on all digital platforms via Silent Kid Records.
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