Though Ned Oldham has never needed to live under the shadow of hisfamily name — like it would be a bad thing if he did — he has recordedmusic with his brothers in a number of projects over the years,including his own The Anomoanon. This has helped shape the style of hismusic, but on Jojihe steps out large in his own direction, creating one of those recordsthat many will point to for years to come as the sound that defined theband and others in the genre.Paul Oldham is the only other family member involved and even thenonly at the recording board, but the rest of the group is the same oldreliables that have appeared with Oldham on and off for years,including songwriting foil Aram Stith. Together they've recorded abatch of songs in the classic bass-two guitar-drums format, with someextras here and there, and a style that transcends decades to become alost batch of recordings by some late sixties roots guitar rock outfit.Honestly, "Green Sea" could be played on KPIG in Prunedale, CA, next toJohn Fogerty and hippie pundits would scarcely notice, maybe fillingthe phone lines to ask who it is and didn't they open for Creedence ohso long ago. It's the sound of revolution, of people who've struggled,of simple stories about the girl who lived next door and the funnypeople who used to visit. Maybe none of those things, but that'scertainly the feel of this collection of tunes. There's buzzfrom the amps at quieter moments, au naturale, and harmonies that floatabove the chords to fill the room with words about teenagers swooning,running to the hills, not being a fool, and the power of one person.Oldham's voice is undoubtedly an inspiration of his family'straditional drawl, and yet cleaner and purer on some level and not aswarbly. He sings with the voice of a heartland troubadour, and hispassion can be felt in every note, with the voices that join himaugmenting the impact without overpowering it. The guitar noodling maybe the source of some of those jam band comparisons, but they'reoff-base without being offensive — just misinformed like the term"post-rock." "Down and Brown" is down and dirty, until it reaches itsplayful and meandering climax. The old school quasi-R&B groove of"Nowhere" is a definite highlight, with Oldham's ever clever lyricspunctuating the proceedings. The peak, though, is the "After ThanBefore"/"Wedding Song" pairing, with the first song sounding like ajoyous courtship, and the second laying back into a lazy but epic jauntabout the sanctities of a life spent together, and how others should bemade to remember and understand. In the middle of it all, it's clearthat Jojiis The Anomoanon at their peak, and a fine example of a band that'sjust hitting a stride that could last their whole lives. Read More
