Javelin - No Más

Javelin
No Más
(Luaka Bop)
Rating: 4.1 of 5


Ears of the indie megacosm, welcome Javelin. This sonic collage duo migrated down the coast from the ‘Creative Capital’ Providence, Rhode Island to the funky streets of Brooklyn where their hunky electro-jams can be embraced with open arms. After last year’s cheeky demo, Jamz N Jemz, it was time for cousins Tom Van Buskirk and George Langford to rework their material into an accessible and concise full-length. That’s just what they did. Thanks to Luaka Bop, we have at our disposal No Más.

At our disposal; I suppose that was an interesting way to put it, seeing as this can be deemed ‘disposable’ music. These kinds of records need the charm to pull an instantaneous response from the audience the way that Beck’s Odelay or Avalanches’ Since I Left You have done in the past. Nowadays usually met with success through a catchy single or blog-hyped track, No Más has these kinds of options.

“Vibrationz” has been all over the feed since last year. It’s true; many selections come to us re-noodled from Jamz N Jemz. Yet, doing away with the corrosive etchings and tape hiss now on this Luaka Bop outing, evidence shows that Javelin cleans up well. Swapping out the boxy acoustic guitar melody in “Mossy Woodland” for a vocal one, the beginning of the album sounds well-rehearsed. Followed by the infectious “Oh! Centra”, listeners are in for a hell of a tune wedgy. Abounding with silly lines sung by dwarfed vocals, shaking this song from your head might prove painful.

“Intervales Theme” shows up here, as well; still highly effective as an intermission piece. New inclusion “Tell Me, What Will It Be?” feasts on 70s-soundtrack funk; grooving a staccato bass line with car horn organ screeches. Javelin ricochets between genres track-by-track, from Hot Chip-style indie electronic (“Off My Mind”) to block-party hip hop (“Susie Cues”). Muted hand claps get lost in the hurtling shuffle of the Farfisa-laden “Shadow Heart”—the first of three strong that close out the record.

Full tilt on the sampling, this Javelin debut is a boffo success in the cut-and-paste medium. If only it was still considered cool to walk the streets with your ghettoblaster blaring. Saccharine-sweet and party-approved, No Más deserves spin-time at your next vintage-themed hipster shindy. When you walk up to the DJ table, throw this LP at him. If nothing else, the psychedelic cover will look damn good on his stack.

Vibrationz - Javelin

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