JP & THE LIFE - my money

JP & THE LIFE

My Money
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

When I first read that I was going to be reviewing a record called My Money I thought it was going to be gangsta rap about how much money the rapper had. Then when I pressed play my thought couldn’t have been farther from the truth. My Money by JP & THE LIFE was in fact inspired by the economic recession of 2009 and sounds like music that lies between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More. 

JP & THE LIFE are the combined efforts of Jon Willams (vocals), Justin Pelonian (guitar), John Pelonian (bass) and Lamar Little (drums). All of the band members are extremely talented when it comes to technical ability. That double bass comes at you hard while you get bombarded with slick guitar skills. The music feels oddly removed from a good majority of music being made in 2014. As I stated earlier the music could have some comparisons to Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers but an even more accurate detail would be to compare JP & THE LIFE’s sound to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Back when Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked hard and Faith No More was the most hardcore band in town. 

It took me awhile to warm up to their sound and some songs didn’t do it for me but overall the album is a pretty impressive collection of songs. One of the highlights was “Believe Me,” which features funky guitar and a rhythm section that pulls off some crazy progressions as Williams sings, “ i'm on the sun / don't bring me down bring me down / what will be undone back on the ground / on the ground.” Williams is a man of many voices and throughout the album you hear him scat/rap like Anthony Kiedis and try out a couple of other styles but I preferred the more traditional singing style he displayed on “Believe Me.” His voice is sometimes covered in hall-like ‘80s reverb when he sings “believe me / i believe in you.”

"In This World” was another solid song that features some of the most engaging and technically impressive instrumental parts on the album. It has a funky vibe that gets injected with a dose of heavy rock. They close with “Broadcast,” which features cascading guitar lines that fall between spoken vocals as well as a break down section that sounds like something from Rage Against The Machine.

My Money is a unique release in the current landscape of music. You may or may not enjoy it but I encourage you to take a listen and make up your mind.

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