Translated from Spanish. Original Text HERE!
THEY COME IN COLORS: THE JUNIPERS' NEW ALBUM, IMAGINARY FRIENDS
The Junipers are a secret to the general public but well known by a select group of tasters of the best sounds who rejoice in the release of the group's new album, the fourth and entitled IMAGINARY FRIENDS, eleven songs encapsulated on vinyl, CD or digital download availableon their bandcamp that make up a small treasure of crystalline and super-perfect pop, and that benefits from a compact, homogeneous production, which gives coherence to the album and that, unfortunately, is not usually as usual and desirable in the production of today's 60s influence groups.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS, a self-released album by The Junipers, began its journey before the summer with the releases of new songs that foreshadowed the arrival of great things. The first was Annie Almond, a small and infectious pop capsule that takes us back to 1968, full of vocal melodies and adorned with Mellotron sound and that was elevated to BBC song of the week, something that unfortunately we will never hear on Spanish public radio. It was followed by She Looked Up At The Stars, a great popsike with organ that highlights the melody and My Imaginary Friend, a delight that reminds us of the Beatles' Martha My Dear seasoned with the genius and captivating extravagances of Brian Wilson, bright, luminous and with lyrics about puppies... what more could you ask for?
Those three advances were followed by eight more songs to make up the album, which is already a reality (although the vinyl edition will still have to wait a few weeks) and presented in a playful and psychedelic folder that plays with the concept of imaginary friends, the first of them being The Swarthy Smith introduced with piano, elegant pop with a soft pop Californian air from the 70s followed without interruption by the softly bouncy bubblegum full of vocal harmonies of You're My Sugar And Spice.
While You Preside brings to mind the powerpop a la Crabby Appleton but in its flow it drifts and enters psychedelic terrain, magnificent. Mary In The Rain returns to circulate in Beatlesque ways circa 1967, melodies always supported by the gentle voices of The Junipers, while for Monkey On My Back they also look at sounds from 1967 but in this case more typical of the Beach Boys; its instrumentation and melody, and the very light and progressive elevation of the intensity of the composition makes us think of Brian Wilson, as well as I've Been In Your Shoes that also reminds us of the Beach Boys but those of 1964-1965.
The album comes to an end with Red Song, beautiful acoustic airs and again the Mellotron, and Hollow Sky that closes with a livelier spirit, pop made from piano, organ and sophisticated but endearing melodies.
A marvel of an album that should have been double, at least, to give us more of the pop brand Junipers, but with this duration it is presented to us as a perfect musical pill.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS can be enjoyed on The Junipers bandcamp, where physical copies can also be purchased. Don't miss it!
David
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