Sara Renar

(AQUARIUS RECORDS EP; Croatian import; 2014)

Reviewing a singer/songwriter from another country, singing tunes in their native language, pretty much forces you to concentrate on the pure sound of their offerings, since you can’t follow along with the lyrics. Although I have listened to a fair amount of unique stuff from Europe, Sara Renar is the first singer I’ve listened to from Croatia. So I don’t have many reference points for her 7-song EP titled AUTUMN, or JESEN in her native tongue. I certainly wasn’t expecting a somber 2-minute ambient instrumental to kick things off. The title track was a bit plodding and not very original, but “Trag” was a bit more interesting, repetitive in a good way and using its two-chord simplicity to good effect. Another mid tempo vocal track, then a rather delicate piano and guitar instrumental called “Post Sezona” pretty much lets you know you’re listening to something rather unusual, aesthetically speaking. “Razmak” offers another surprise by beginning with squiggly sounding synth and drum machine and actual lyrics in English. But lest you get too comfortable, Renar switches back to her native Croatian, although the arrangement and feel of this track are so lithe and appealing by this point, you don’t really care. It’s a strong, energetic track. Things close out with an a cappella version of the title track, with two different vocal lines competing for your attention. It’s striking, and a good reminder of how much power the simple human voice can have when singing with conviction and this kind of potent drama. Renar has emotions to spare, and it’s a real kick to hear her going full tilt like this. I didn’t really need to know WHAT she was singing, I could simply tell SHE was into it, and that was enough.

Sara Renar (photo credit: DOONJA DOPSAJ)

Hard to say if Renar is an important artist on the basis of this EP, but one thing’s for sure, it does NOT follow a predictable formula. It’s a burst of somewhat nervous energy, with an exploratory feel, and it is curiously asexual in nature. Mostly, I liked it. I hope her next full-length will answer some of the questions that, creatively, this disc leaves hanging.

(DEAD CHERRY RECORDS; 2014)

Johnny Wore Black is the musical alter-ego of a stuntman who prefers to be called simply, “Jay” (his most recent stunt work is currently on display in FURY, with Brad Pitt). Considering his day job, is it any wonder that the music Jay creates is adventurous, risky and maybe even a little bit scary? WALKING UNDERWATER, PART 2 (PART 1 was released earlier this year) is a balancing act of hard rock, progressive metal and pop sheen, all laced with a dollop of blues and soul. Jay’s backing band are on point throughout the ten tracks on the album, maybe kicking things up a notch with the presence of bassist (and co-writer on several tracks) Dave Ellefson of metal giants, Megadeth. So, without further ado, let’s get into some of the specifics that make this record so cool.

Johnny Wore Black (Dave Ellefson and Jonathan Cohen) (uncredited photo) — Johnny Wore Black (Dave Ellefson and Jay) (uncredited photo)

The album kicks off with “Firefly,” a progressively melodic blast of hard rock. The track features great guitar work from Pete Mathers and James Coppolaro (a theme we’ll see repeated throughout the album) and a very “progressive” rhythm (it sounds like synthesizer, but there are no synths or keyboards credited). “A Cut Above” has a heftier guitar and vocal sound, as Ellefson’s bass drives the tune along quite nicely. There’s a certain groove that kinda reminds me of mid-era solo Alice Cooper and a stinging, dark progressivity that gives it the feel of a Floydian outtake from THE WALL. With a brighter, somewhat jangly guitar, “Comfy Slippers” features an overall more high-end – bordering on shrill – sound. The song is highlighted by the melodic, slightly jazzy drumming of Simon Hutchby.

Even though the lyrics on this record are, as the second song’s title implies, a cut above, “Fallen Angel” features some of the best: “Like a fallen angel/You spread your wings and cry.” The scope of the lyrics and the music are very theatrical, giving it a definite prog rock concept album feel. “Gift of Desperation,” the final co-write from Ellefson (he also co-wrote the record’s first two tracks), is a heartfelt prayer for forgiveness, wrapped in a very dark, nearly Gothic musical soundscape. Ellefson’s bass has a sort of bubbling quality beneath the atmospheric stabs of guitar doomary. Probably my favorite song on the whole album. The title and ambiguous lyrics of “I Do Dissolve” reminds me of my fave dark romanticist, Gary Numan (an utterly fantastic use of the words “dissolve,” “absolve” and “evolve”). The funky, skittering guitars and bass line also have a quality reminiscent of SHORT BUS era Filter (the one with “Hey, Man, Nice Shot”). “Noise” is, overall, a creepy sounding punk pop thing with some exceptionally eerie guitar. It’s kinda like the Damned’s Dave Vanian or Rob Zombie fronting Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy (but with better music… so, I guess it ain’t like that at all).

Johnny Wore Black (Jonathan Cohen) (photo credit: MATT BROWN) — Johnny Wore Black (Jay) (photo credit: MATT BROWN)

“Shine On” is a spooky, horror movie power ballad. It’s a truly beautiful number with a stirring, charging second half. Sara Renar, a talented Croatian singer of great depth and feeling, guests on the song. “Whose Children” is all about the groove, with evocative guitar, pulsating bass effects-drenched vocals. The sole cover on the album was originally recorded in 1990 by a dance band called Bomb the Bass, with vocals by the song’s co-writer, Loretta Heywood. The band adds heft to “Winter In July,” which, in its original version was a rather lightweight quasi-disco affair. Johnny Wore Black’s heavier, more rocking take still manages to maintain the basic groove of the track. As an added bonus, Ms Heywood supplies her voice to the proceedings. You may have noticed that all through this review, I’ve managed to speak about the excellent musicianship from the band and the guest vocalists, but haven’t really mentioned Jay’s voice. Why? Well, this review features enough redundancies without adding more by talking about what a talented and emotionally adept singer he actually is. Coming in to this thing, I wasn’t sure what to expect; I certainly wasn’t expecting to be blown away, as I was, from the very first note to the final fade.

SARA RENAR: JESEN (AUTUMN)

JOHNNY WORE BLACK: WALKING UNDERWATER, PART 2

WHAT’S INSIDE