Janowski – ‘Songs We’ve Gone And Done’
Janowski – London, England, United Kingdom.
(Photo credit – Warren Terror – Click Here)
I like it gruff. I’ll let you interpret that as you will.
Janowski are a three-piece Punk-Rock band from London. They Formed in 2013 and like most bands, have turned their hands at making music for human ears. Funny that. Anyway, recently the band released a set of five tracks they are particularly proud via their bandcamp.
It is an EP? A collection? A blessing? I don’t know.
But rest easy Janowski fans and first time listeners. I do know that the band are simply proud of these tracks and fancied a cheeky showcase, whilst out at Nandos for a cheeky one. A cheeky Nandos. Sorry. I hate myself.
And before we get down to it, it’s worth noting that this EP/Collection is placed within the even cheekier, ‘FREE/Name Your Price’ bracket.
My initial thoughts on the band’s sound was how it reminded me of Off With Their Heads, Hot Water Music and Alkaline Trio. The band themselves cite the following as their influences:
‘Off With Their Heads, Captain Everything, Title Fight, The Menzingers, The Bronx, Blink 182, Leatherface, Shook Ones, Green Day’
Not far off. Janowski’s sound hits us as a low, gritty, gruff and discordant mix of mid-paced Punk-Rock, filtered through an Alternative Rock sieve that sounds incredibly real and honestly put together.
Songs We’ve Gone And Done:
‘This is a collection of the best songs we’ve ever written. It’s not a greatest hits, it’s a collection. The artwork was taken in Nottingham in January 2015 after a really hazey evening.’
So let’s take a listen of this five-track collection:
‘Numb’ rumbles along slightly Folk infused and will clearly be the track the fans sing back at the three gents when they make it big.
‘Bruce Is Next’ leans towards Hot Water Music territory. At the same time however, it stands alone and manages to get a heartfelt, and indeed, very real set of lyrical content across atop a more upbeat tempo, in a way that echoes Off With Theirs Heads.
Punk-Rock has been an emotional outlet since day one and that doesn’t seem to be changing.
‘I need the sun. I need the nutrients to pick me up. I need to break the habit of thinking of you when I wake up’
‘Billy Ewing’ is another upbeat number. Rockier in composition, the band’s upbeat and gritty output is still just as driven on classic Punk chord progression, despite a slower tempo.
‘Catsyemate’ a song that I have no idea how to pronounce, but Janowski claim to ‘[…] have a soft spot for it, so it’s still in our set to this day. 2 years on.‘ Continuity and dedication to craft, ladies and gentlemen.
‘Loose Change is the final instalment. The two-stage intro captured my hearing immediately. Heavy, looming riffs and a more sombre vocal approach, ‘Loose Change’ is another honesty-fuelled banger that makes you wonder why. That is, why is what’s in the charts actually in the charts in the fucking first place?
Things are improving, but we could all use more Janowski. Boys, I’m going to be buying Merch.
We’re an honest bunch at MF, but I am really struggling to find anything negative to write about this EP. Five tracks of gruff Punk/Alternative Rock that very genuinely shows a band enjoying themselves. Honesty isn’t only shown through lyrics.
My only criticism is that I expected more pace in places, but that is entirely down to my subjective love for faster Punk. But Hey Ho! (LET’S GO) and track down Janowski through clicking on the following direct links:
– Facebook and Twitter for their social media exploits.
– BigCartel and bandcamp for merch, physical and digital music.
– SoundCloud for streaming. And enjoy.
#StayFresh
