The Johnbenders, The Johnbenders

The early 2000s saw an influx saw a huge influx of emocore bands anxiously awaiting their chance to make it in the indie club circuit, which begs the question: do we really need one more? Seattle’s The Johnbenders thinks “Yes!” with their second EP.

The opening track, “Nine Pound Hammer,” begins with a familiar sound: dissonant, siren-esque leads and quick, muffled rhythm overlaying a quick and percussive bass part. Vocalist Mark wails, “To work for it / To suffer it / No fleeting facts of redemption / So don’t even try to say you were there,” in a voice that channels a Joe Strummer-infused Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio. Pretty straightforward stuff; however, keyboardist Nate’s part lingers in the background, playing in parallel with Mark and giving a peek at what’s to come. “Thirteen Lights” brings in more of the keyboard, taking a cue from the late ’80s with an intro that would make Tears for Fears proud. The track continues the “strum only on the downbeat” pattern seen in “Nine Pound Hammer,” while infusing a bit of New Wave-inspired keyboards. It’s not a horrible song by any standard, but it wouldn’t make it in my regular music rotation.

“Dissolution,” the final track of the EP, is where the band changes pace and replaces their emo sound with darker New Wave pop. Easily their best track, the Johnbenders almost effortlessly sprinkle British electronica keyboards over the harder emocore sound. Unlike the previous tracks, which allow you to disconnect your emotions and listen, “Dissolution” engages you and makes decide whether you love or hate the song. My only complaint is that the fusion of post-hardcore rock and electronica blend effortlessly in the verses but loses its cohesion during the chorus.

It’s a bit hard to judge a band from an EP, but I’ll give credit to the Johnbenders for trying to explore as many genres as they can in three short tracks. I’m unsure whether or not to recommend this CD to anyone, because there are better emocore bands and better electronica bands out there — however, there are very few bands that fuse the sounds together. The style might translate and develop better on a full-length CD, but for now I’m honestly undecided.