Joan Of Arc

So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness (Jade Tree)
by Tim Den

As much as I adore Tim Kinsellas’ brilliant wordplay (and articulate political stance), this new Joan Of Arc album only leaves me yearning for an Owls follow-up. Why? Because So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness only delivers half of what these Chicagoians achieved as their previous incarnation; rambling through blurry visions only to focus once every four compositions or so. Also, because the album, unlike previous Joan Of Arc works, is so ornately organic, it almost feels out of place within the band’s context and history. Not that Joan Of Arc have ever followed any sort of pattern: One album they’d be yelping emo, the next cut-and-paste lo-fi electronica. So I guess going back to a “regular band” set up was the biggest “fuck you” they could’ve thrown at their audience… except it simply comes across as a lesser Owls. Perhaps it’s because guitarist Victor Villarreal isn’t around this time to bring it all together with his waterfall-like arpeggios? Whatever the case, this new focus on songwriting over studio trickery has only taken them so far. A lack of cohesion – and lots of rambling – can only mean one thing: Time to get the original four back together.
(2310 Kennwynn Rd. Wilmington, DE 19810)