Jambrains - Life, Love & Lies

Jambrains

Life, Love & Lies
self-released; 2017

​3.7 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Last year Johan Alm aka Jambrains released 900 days. In less than a year he is back with Life, Love & Lies which isn't much of a deviation from his debut. Alm embraces traditional and classic rock riffs. His accent is obvious to anyone who does not contain the same accent and found his vocals enjoyable but took me a little bit of  time to warm up to them.

He opens with “Since I Met You” which is a straightforward rock embracing 4/4 time, a standard guitar as well as structure. His style felt very general but had a mix of classic and ’90s rock to my ears.

Up next is “Lies” which is another solid song but the style actually felt a little more embedded in the ’80s this time around. The song like the opener is well written and well delivered but there weren't any surprises good or bad along the way.

The song that got my attention was “The Curse of Shane MacGowan” which mixes a traditional celtic vibe with rock. On a certain level it reminded me a bit of The Dropkick Murphys and Neutral Milk Hotel. I really loved the anthemic chorus and hope to hear some of this style in the future.

Another highlight was “One Day We'll Die.” The piano was a nice touch and the subject while on paper could seem morbid felt quite celebratory in delivery. He returns to a familiar rock vibe on “Leave No Stone Unturned.” The closer “Until It’s Time to Part” felt like a closer. It was more somber, reflective and for the most part felt the vibe worked very well.

This is a solid album but there were some clear standout to my ears. The great thing about music is you might prefer other tracks. Take a listen - this album is worth checking out.

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