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From the wah-wah'd opening notes of "You Will," Luxuria makes it evident that Stickman Jones is not the same band that made last year's brilliant folk-pop album Blinding Bright. Oh, the personnel is still the same--vocalist Annie Quick, guitarist David Sachs, accordion player Rob Curto, drummer Ethan Hartshorn, and bassist Jad Mintum. But the five of them have, together, sharpened their pop sensibilities and taken their songwriting to the next level. The first track, the aforementioned "You Will," shows the most dramatic departure from the band's previous style, with guitar effects, a glockenspiel (played by Danielson's Megan Smith), and an extremely catchy, upbeat melody. The rest of Luxuria continues the trend, although many of the other pieces hearken back to folk, especially when accordion and mandolin are thrown into the mix. Other songs, such as the effects-laden "Only Touch Me," bring to mind the more modern sounds of The Cranberries or Chasing Furies. Quick's distinctive, Jefferson Airplane-esque vocal is not lost in the transition, though, as one might assume. Instead of being drawn into the music, it forces the music to conform to it, making the songs markedly Stickman Jones compositions. Her vocals also match the lyrics, at times heartbreaking, and at other times sensual. These lyrics are just as poetic as those found on Blinding Bright, and more accessible for the most part. Take "Like I Do," which Jesus People USA should adopt as the official song of the Cornerstone Festival: A friend
of a friend
An
early evening
The band continues to show the influence of the British poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, most notably in the a cappella piece "Edna," whose lyrics are taken directly from her poetry. All in all, the members of Stickman Jones have crafted a fine release which serves as the next logical step in their progression as a band. In fact, the only real problem with Luxuria is that it was released in December, too late to make anyone's "best of 1999" list. Michial Farmer 1/15/2000
Stickman Jones shouldn’t need an introduction. This band should have been signed and had several mainstream radio hits a long time ago. On their latest independent CD, New York City’s Stickman Jones goes for a pop sound reminiscent of Sixpence None the Richer and Over the Rhine, with a romantic lyrical approach reminiscent of C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald. The first verse of “Cooler” might remind one of Aslan from Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia: It was a gentler tide“Heaven” even reads like the “further up and further in” scene from The Last Battle: We are running down the hillSongwriting such as this reflects a deep and intimate faith unparalleled in most Christian music—and even in most worship music. Relationships are also a recurring theme on Luxuria. “Gravity” provides some darker moments with its tale of two people whose expectations get out of hand, and “Like I Do” reminisces about the halcyon days of a relationship. If things seem a little too somber, “Smile” is a more uplifting song about friendship. The lyrics are bolstered by pop arrangements with little surprises--glockenspiel, kazoo, and pennywhistle, to name a few of the offbeat instruments that show up every now and then. Luxuria as a whole is the same way. Heard in passing, one might think a typical pop album is playing. A closer listening, however, reveals all kinds of artful details. Tommy Jolly 3/12/2000
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