Review: Johnathan|Christian – 'The Nothing I Feel'

JOHNATHAN|CHRISTIAN
'The Nothing I Feel'
SELF-RELEASED

While their first album 'Beautiful Hideous' was a somewhat self-conscious exploration of influences and heroes, the transatlantic duo of Johnathan Mooney [ex-The New Creatures] and Christian Granquist [Day Behaviour, The Atom] return with a more mature sophomore effort. The duo's second album 'The Nothing I Feel' still has it's feet firmly in the 80s with big nods to the likes of Depeche Mode, The Sisters Of Mercy, Joy Division and Bauhaus making it instantly accessible to the traditional goth scene. However, the brief glimpses of their own emerging style on their first outing, begin to coalesce in a more defined way on 'The Nothing I Feel' to show off a more well-rounded and individualistic sound.

Songs such as 'The Nothing I Feel', 'The Pink And The Black', 'Independence', 'Her Austere Heart', and 'Your Lying Virtue' provide the album with it's strongest moments as they walk a fine line between old school gothic and modern dark rock with piercing electronic elements and emotive vocal performances.
The remix of 'The Pink And The Black' courtesy of industrial rock legend En Esch provides another high water mark that while providing the album with a club-friendly mix also unfortunately shows up a few shortfalls left to iron out in the band's own formula.

The production isn't amazing and in a few places hampers some otherwise passable tracks. It feels low-fi and retro but not in a good way. The songs lack a strong bottom end and the vocals often sound flat in the mix compared to the symphonic keyboards. It's a shame as the En Esch remix shows just how strong they could sound.

'The nothing I Feel' is certainly an improvement in terms of the duo defining their sound and song writing. However it still sounds very much like a work in process, and a little rushed in parts. It's a shame as there is a lot of potential for this veteran duo to create some genuinely strong music together, but they're just not quite there yet.  

Read More

Review: Johnathan/Christian – 'Beautiful Hideous'

JOHNATHAN/CHRISTIAN
'Beautiful Hideous'
SELF-RELEASED 

Joining the ever lengthening line of those more than willing to pillage the leftovers of those who never did it particularly well (in the first place), Johnathan/Christian's latest homage to all things sombre is a willing addition to any trad-goths collection but will really struggle to make ground elsewhere.

With a press release that rather, drudgingly name-drops more or less every reverb-clad outfit circa 1990, 'Beautiful Hideous' successfully ticks off all the elements that make this a full-player of dance-floor fillers owing to the numerous, well-executed orchestral bursts and pin-sharp crescendos; many of which seen in the album opener 'I Walk this Earth Alone.' Tangential to the cause, Beautiful Hideous isn't a work of total idol worship however; with tracks like 'Fallen' offering a steampunk edge and the title-tune giving us a tiny morsel of modern electro, Johnathan/Christian's dark 'vision' struggles to bare it's teeth and thus seems to constantly plateau far too early.

We expected more from such lauded veterans of the alternative musical scene. There is just nothing here that packs a punch and the result is something that struggles along at a snails pace. 'Beautiful Hideous' would be right at home tinkering in the background as affording it any concentrated effort just ends in frustration. A shame.  

Read More