Junip Junip

Jose Gonzalez has quietly made a name for himself with solo work that has drawn comparisons to Ben Watt and Nick Drake. With his group Junip he travels further into spacey atmospheres where the band captures a vague, metronomic Krautrock vibe to go with Gonzalez’s airy vocals. Keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn makes an immediate impact with subtle yet quickly thrilling keyboard fills that turn a tune like “Rope & Summit” into a mesmerizing gasp. The drum circle rhythms of “Howl” highlight drummer Elias Araya and create a beautiful tribal weave for Gonzalez’s nearly invisible vocals. “Don’t Let It Pass” sweeps in with a melody that suddenly levitates for welcomed sunshine. “Howl” takes the blues into the 21st century. “Sweet & Bitter” drives with an infectious pop backbeat. The Deluxe Edition includes an additional eleven tracks that were issued as the Black Refuge and Rope & Summit EPs and the bonus cut, the incredibly catchy “Chicken.” An iTunes exclusive bonus track “Blue” and the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad” make this debut album from Junip one grand affair.