By Caleb Stanislaw
Crisp as a starched pair of Wranglers, Uh Oh Jiminy ’s first single “Face the Music” possesses the polish and focus of a much more established band. More than a little country, this aspiring pop anthem encapsulates a familiar courting ritual: learning “Brown Eyed Girl,” then proceeding to (badly) sing said song to a first surprised, then (hopefully) endeered person. The song’s protagonist is “tongue tied / high and dry / in over my head,” tasking himself with learning an instrument and a hopefully relevant song, with the goal of winning the affections of another. Our hero manages to learn the song, get up the kutzpah to actually perform the song, and, finally, is forced to “face the music.”
Uh Oh Jiminy ’s success in “Face the Music” ultimately lies in the care with which the song has been executed and performed. Every player on this record is top-notch, and Jeremy Butler’s vocal is delivered with power and inflection. The song builds and builds, first evoking a close-in, intimate feel, and, measure by measure, building until it oozes “singalong.”
This song wants to be an activity, and that’s a difficult task. The grooves are strong. As the song progresses, it becomes a dance tune, almost a show tune. Suddenly, the inner trial of facing one’s own music seems more communal, and more encompassing. The tune ends with a finaly of big choral vocals, wall-of-sound guitars, and an upward-arching augmentation of the vocal melody until the final breath, when all is stripped away, and our protagonist is there, alone, nothing but a guitar, a voice, and an ounce of hope. Good luck to Uh Oh Jiminy on the quest to break into the DFW Scene. I think they have something to bring to the table, and I look forward to catching a live show.
