Album Review: Justin Andrew – Transplant

Feb 14, 2010 by David Couch

Album: Transplant

Artist: Justin Andrew

Release Date: Summer 2009

Justin Andrew opens up his soul with Transplant, a sample of neo-blues with songs that have original spark and are being shaped, molded to a new template that is all Andrew’s own.

The honky-tonk quality of the vocals infects the melodies with a tangible passion. The sound and feel of the record is good but it makes me want to listen to more, to see the changes and evolution in the songs and sound, it is definitely a grower. The material remains consistent albeit simmilar throughout, a mixture of haunting melodies and the vauge notion of longing that often accompanies blues.

“Close your Hands” is by far the best track on the EP; in 3:10 it encapsulates the entire record, and you can listen to the other songs with the benefit of hindsight. Misery is a wonderful emotion to trap on a record, everyone’s seen their fair share of hard times so it’s an easy thing to associate. Cue internal montage of some heartbreaking moment driving along the west coast (kind of like The OC, but you know…good.) In other words, the record may be a little self-indulgent at time but the plucky melodies and – I guess you could call it sweetness- keep the record from going too far.

Justin Andrew has a softer edge to what I usually like, but there is a definite note of quality that chimes through the entire record. It’s relaxing – definitely to accompany one of those sunny evenings with nothing to do but sit in silence and drink cold, refreshing beer in the garden.