Album review OOR - Augustus 2008

GUITARPOP JUNIOR EATS ALONE LOVE WILL SLOW ME DOWN (DE MATENPLAATSCHAPPIJ)

Perhaps Junior Eats Alone reminds you of Dutch popact Racoon. That's okay because, after having listened to a couple of tracks on Love Will Slow Me Down, you will find that Junior is the bigger fish in this pond. The eight-man pop-orchestra creates dreamy songs with rough edges, from alternative rock to jazzy summer tunes. The fact that this record turned out as coherent as it did, should be attributed to the brass section: Henri de Mooij, Robert Bakker and Daniel Follman. They're the ones that make Junior sparkle. The group sounds as a whole on the beautiful title-track Love Will Slow Me Down.

Multi-talented Singer Ronnie Verton switches from cheerful and soulful singing (You Again) to sorrowful notes from the likes of Thom Yorke (Even Though). Managing to avoid schizophrenia, Ronnie sets the bar high with his singing.

Fortunately this record is full of surprising sound-eruptions as well, such as during Follow and Living Below: these prevent this fastflowing musical stream from becoming a calm brook. Love Will Slow Me Down is a sincere album that doesn't turn to 'sweet', not for a minute. MARK BOOMSMA