The Junior Varsity have previously been described as ’emo with a braincell’, which I think is a bit condescending. TJV are to emo-rock as Armor For Sleep are for the genre; they’re by no means genre-busters or re-inventing the musical wheel, but they add a slice of atmospherics and mood to a genre saturated by bands churning out the same old crap. And while you don’t need a degree to ‘get’ The Junior Varsity, there’s a little bit more going on here than your average band. The Junior Varsity – smarter than your average bear. Now there’s a quote, Victory Records.
Following on from a triumphant last record, the band have gone through several personal tragedies which lesser bands would easily have folded from. With one member’s girlfriend brutally murdered, plus having equipment stolen while on tour, The Junior Varsity‘s collective resolve has certainly been tested. As a result, you can sense the level of emotion, graft and pride that’s gone into this record. It’s not an amazing record and I don’t think the band will get the credit their endeavours deserve, but it’s a beautifully crafted effort which shows maturity. ‘St Louis’ and ‘Try To Define’ are majestic songs – the latter of which builds beautifully into a gorgeous crescendo of noise.
Asa Dawson’s vocals are perhaps more rounded than before, but what sets this band apart from many of their peers is their ability to fuse different influences and make them sound like their own. The horns on the album’s title track add so much extra to the song, adding a level of creativity similar bands should probably look towards. I can’t say that ‘Cinematographic’ is my favourite album of the year, because it’s not. But it is a triumph through adveristy and shows the courage of a band who have taken more blows than Rocky Balboa – yet they keep getting up and taking yet another pounding. If any band deserve 10 minutes of your time it’s this one – it’s the least they deserve.