RED BOUQUET FAIR ALBUM REVIEW on POP FOREVER SITE...

 

The Junipers – “Red Bouquet Fair”

“don’t get too deep or your head starts to crack”

I first discovered this wonderful pop/psych band in 2008 from a tip by an Audities member (online group). It was an album called “Cut your Key,” and a very exciting discovery. Switch to June 2016, and I read a review in Big Takeover by Elizabeth Klisiewicz of “Red Bouquet Fair.” She called it “enchanting, delightful, magical, and incandescent.” Without hesitation, I purchased it.  Her praise was enough for me.

Don’t know a lot about them. They are from Leicester England. Joe Wiltshire composes the songs and Robyn Gibson is the lead singer. The music reflects their love for the early British groups like the Beatles and the Zombies. And that music is a lovely mix of pop with psychedelic accents, and beautiful vocal harmonies. The opening title cut is an instrumental with a sitar and banjo in the mix. Key cuts:

• The swirling psych “Burning Pages”
• The chiming guitar highlighting “Like A Merry Go Round” “Chase the shadows as they break on the ground in the fading light”
• The folk guitar and heavenly harmonies on “When the bird has flown”
• Classic Beatles-like piano-driven “The Old Man Mini Suite”
• My favorite track, the layered harmonies on “Summer Queen” “She’d be the summer queen no more than she deserves it’s been her lifelong dream…” So Beautiful!

The album ends with the appropriate “Say Goodbye” and more Beatles inspired vocals.

This is a classic pop album and deserves to be discovered by fans of The Beatles, The Left Bank, or Midlake. I got lucky and found it.

BUY RED BOUQUET FAIR HERE!

JUNIPERS BAND REVIEW ON EVERY RECORD TELLS A STORY BLOG...

 Leicester has had a pretty good run of it of late. It had previously been a source of fun for Londoners being asked for directions by tourists trying to pronounce the famous London square of that name (“Can you tell me the way to Ly-sess-ter square?” we would be asked whilst stifling a smirk). 

Aside from that, it was known for hosting the Walkers Crisps factory and being the birthplace of Thomas Cook holidays and the jug-eared England striker Gary Lineker. However, Britain’s tenth biggest city has had something of a renaissance. Not only is it now rather grandly the final resting place of Richard III, it also hosts football’s Premier League Champions, albeit they have just sacked their manager, which just goes to show some people are never happy. 

Lineker himself is rising ever more to National Treasure status, as he provides as much opposition to the Government as he used to do to Brazil on the football field – more, some would say than the actual opposition party via his Twitter account.  

From a musical perspective, until recently the most famous export from Leicester was the man who broke The Beatles’ record breaking string of number one hits by keeping Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane from the No. 1 spot. 

Sounds good until you find out that person was Englebert Humperdinck. 

But more recently Leicester has produced a slightly edgier and indie-fied version of Englebert in the form of Kasabian, a genuine international headliner and producer of indie-bangers. 

And since 2000, another Leicester band has been quietly producing music, and it is this band that deserves your attention today. 

The band is called The Junipers. 

You may not have heard of them: they didn’t appear on The Brits alongside Ed Sheeran or at The Grammys alongside Bruno Mars, but The Junipers will appeal to fans of the quieter moments of Teenage Fanclub, modern day psychedelic rock bands such as Temples (who hail from nearby Kettering) and Tame Impala, and in particular such psychedelic ’60s pop as Love, The Byrds and The Beatles, and the sunshine pop of Sagittarius and The Beach Boys.

The Junipers’ third album in nine years (they aren’t the most prolific it seems), Red Bouquet Fair, came out late last year, and not only is it one of the best albums I have heard in ages, it’s also being released in a very limited run on coloured vinyl by Tunbridge Wells’ finest record label Sugarbush Records (about whom we’ll find out more another time).

Here are a few things we need to know about The Junipers:

• Band members are Robyn Gibson (vocals), Joe Wiltshire (guitar), Pete Gough (guitar), Ash Selden (bass) and Ben Marshall (drums).
• Their debut 2008 album “Cut Your Key” was recorded both at their own studios in Leicester and at Birmingham’s Magic Garden studios, and was a mild success, gaining radio play, favourable reviews and a support slot with the aforementioned Kasabian. 
• Follow up “Paint The Ground” was released in 2012, and improved upon the debut. 
• 2016 album “Red Bouquet Fair”, their third album, is a further leap forward, containing songs that would improve Pet Sounds. 

Yes, it’s that good. 

It is a masterful work of pop precision, an album utterly accomplished. Like Southend’s Asylums’ “Killer Brain Waves”, Red Bouquet Fair is a great example of a terrific record being created with a DIY ethic outside of the mainstream music industry.

What makes this DIY movement different from previous movements is that bands like The Junipers are releasing the most beautiful home-produced albums that sound like they were created in a luxurious studio. There’s real craft in these mini-symphonies, in these perfect folk-pop moments of sunshine. 

As winter draws to a close, perhaps it’s time to bring a bit of sunshine into your life? An instant injection of vitamin D…

Read the Full Article Here!

OLD CUT YOUR KEY ALBUM REVIEW from POWER POPAHOLIC

 

The Junipers "Cut Your Key"

 November 14, 2008  powerpopaholic  Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic, Top Ten of 2008 Candidate

The Junipers are songwriter Joe Wiltshire and vocalist Marc Johnston who, together with a group of friends in Leicester, make upbeat, chiming pitch perfect baroque and psychedelic pop with echoes of early Bee Gees, The Curiosity Shop and The Zombies. If you are looking for big loud electric guitar riffs, they are not here, but everything else is. Especially that McCartney baseline driven song structure. “Gordie Can’t Swim” opens with a Beatles meets Elephant Six collective retro sound, full of hooks that stick and harmonies that float along the melody. This sets the tone for the album, and despite a few slow instrumental breaks – it’s brilliant in every way. “Fly The Yellow Kite” is a shimmering pop confection that resembles a Wondermints composition. “Already Home” uses a Monkees-like country vibe with those impressive basslines and harmonies to great effect here and it’s a awesome pop song. Using a collection of instruments from of sitars, mellatrons, organs, kazoos, piano, strings, fuzz guitar will have fans of sunshine dappled psyche pop doing backflips. “Out of My Pocket” is adds a dash of prog organ to an acoustic guitar melody and, and “Sheena” is a very Wackers-like folk pop gem. Another standout is the Genesis-Klaatu beauty called “Song That Fades Away” with a sweet harpsichord solo in the middle. Other straight pop songs here “Mortimer” and “Sunnydown Avenue” resemble The Hudson Brothers in sound and spirit. The albums quieter moments concentrates on piano and gentle folk guitar similar to Elliot Smith.  If you don’t enjoy the retro-psyche pop genre then you should pass on this, however fans of Andrew Sandoval, The Pillbugs, and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” will gobble this one up. There are so many layers of impressive instrumentation and arrangements here I’m letting this one into the top ten of 2008. Again, no filler on this impressive debut, and I’ve added two tracks to the Lala player on the right for you to hear.

Buy Cut Your Key Here!

Read the Full Review Here!

PAINT THE GROUND ALBUM REVIEW ON THE QUIETUS BLOG...

 On the stroke of British Summer Time, The Junipers dropped the vinyl version of their newest LP Paint The Ground, doling out instant vitamin D after the bleak midwinter. As is often the case with Leicester’s premier pop psyche outfit, they delivered just when it was needed, channelling the music of Curt Boettcher’s Sagittarius, and Macca at his most dreamy. Just like that, the flowers started to bloom.

While rock music is currently obsessing over the cocaine 70s and 80s, flitting between wanting to be Fleetwood Mac (hey Haim!) or Blind Faith (you okay Arctic Monkeys?), a mini psychedelic revival has been going on, unfreezing like a brook in spring.

While bands like Stealing Sheep and Gruff Rhys’ various solo projects get the attention, bands like The Junipers quietly plug away in their burrow, radiating pure sunshine and good vibes. As unfashionable as it is, this band are determined to apply their love of pop music to an uncynical, good vibration, with a whole load of craft and bespoke nursery melodies drifting through multi-layered, hooky 60s pop.

But don’t expect Beatle Boots, wild fuzz guitar or grand concepts.

Album opener ‘Look Into My River’ doesn’t so much herald its arrival, but rather, creeps into view before flourishing into achingly gorgeous low-lit mellotron goodness, making way for the more jangly freakbeat of ‘Dandelion Man’.

Elsewhere, the band go from scrapbook shedpop (think Alfie’s first Twisted Nerve EPs) with ‘Antler Season’, to the bounding fizz of ‘Song To Selkie’. It isn’t all sunshine and lollipops though – cut in the grooves is a woozy, unsettling element. ‘They Lived Up In The Valley’ is a glorious pop-folk song, which flickers with the hue of a Cold War public information film, which made Boards of Canada such a seductive proposition.

From the first album Cut Your Key, through the singles and EPs that led to Paint The Ground, the careful precision of The Junipers, and the unswerving dedication to the feeling of the 60s, rather than a tedious facsimile, has seen the band turn into one of the greatest bands to grace the underground. If you’re a fan of El Goodo, Kevin Ayers, Shack, Emitt Rhodes or Broadcast, you’ll fine tons to love.

The shallowest part of the stream may make the loudest noise, which means the sumptuous quiet groove of The Junipers can be easily missed – and that is the lousy state of indie music in 2014. The self-promoters and loudmouths, the manic pixie dream girls with their guitars and faux-awkwardness, the cosmic disco bullshitters and blokerock boors are all you can hear in the swill of popular rock, but in that moment when everyone has shouted themselves hoarse, a band like The Junipers appears, with their perfect little symphonies, melting the hearts and minds of anyone who stumbles across them.

If you like pop in the pure form, delicate as it is catchy, you need to let The Junipers in.

Buy Paint the Ground Here!

Read the Full Review Here!

SONG REVIEW ON EAR TO THE GROUND BLOG..

Featured Single: Power pop in the vein of the Beatles 

by The Junipers – “You’re My Sugar and Spice”

-Instead of looking at the clock to see the time, you might be looking at the calendar to see what year it is with this great throwback sound from the Junipers. Everything from the chord selection to the delicate harmonies all put me in mind of the Fab Four. The overall sound is easy to enjoy, befitting the early Beatles sound from the era of hits like “I wanna hold your hand.” The guitars have an easy going style and the vocals are quality. This is more than a Beatles tribute, though, it’s original songwriting and deserves recognition for being a delightful new song.

Read the Full Review Here!

INTERVIEW: Imaginary Friends: The Junipers on Crafting Psychedelic Pop

Interview with The Strange Brew Podcast and Blog

After an eight-year hiatus, Leicester-based psychedelic pop band The Junipers return with Imaginary Friends, an album that playfully explores themes of nostalgia and the boundless creativity of imagination. In this interview by Jason Barnard, band members Joe Wiltshire and Robyn Gibson share insights into the album’s evolution and their enduring love for the sounds and experimentation of the 1960s and 70s.

Congratulations on producing another superb album in Imaginary Friends. It’s been eight years since your last LP, Red Bouquet Fair. Was there a specific moment when you knew it was the right time to return?

Robyn: Thank you kindly, Jason, delighted that you like it! We really enjoyed recording it.

Joe: No, not really, it accidentally evolved. We started recording some new things last year which we thought we would maybe put out as a side project EP or something, no plan really. Just playing around with some melodies and trying to make them sound like a mix of all the bands we love with our own little twist, which is just natural I suppose.

‘Annie Almond’ was the first single from Imaginary Friends. Could you tell us about the story behind it?

Joe: It is about that idea of perfection that people have about others. That there’s this person who just appears perfect to the rest of the world, enigmatic and out of reach. But obviously that idea is never true and there will always be flaws but it’s more from the perspective of the onlooker and the perfection that they see in Annie.

‘My Imaginary Friend’ is inspired by The Beatles’ ‘Martha My Dear.’ How did the idea evolve?

Joe: It’s a song we’ve had for a while in demo form. We started recording it properly it as a band in 2017 but never finished it or released it, apart from a brief appearance in 2023 as a bonus track on our 3rd album Red Bouquet Fair. We liked the idea of someone who really wants a dog but can’t have one because the rest of the family don’t want one, so they have an imaginary dog instead that they take out for walks and roll around in fields with, pick up its imaginary shit etc.

Your second single ‘She Looked Up At the Stars,’ like the album, has a strong late 60s psychedelic feel. How do you approach creating these atmospheric, retro touches without them feeling like pastiche?

Joe: This is an older song too. We are well into Curt Boettcher, Beatles, Beach Boys and all those 1960s and 1970s groups that layer sounds upon sounds. So thats what we tend to do and it we guess it sometimes ends up sounding quite atmospheric. We’re also into newer bands too like Animal Collective, the Elephant 6 bands and also bits of hip hop which is often very experimental, layered & psychedelic too. So not all of the influences will be heard in our tunes but it all plays a part cos if something sounds a bit too cheesy we can maybe rein it in a bit and warp it somehow, or just go mega cheesy and embrace the cheese.

Robyn: I like it when we do a bit of cheese embracing.

What is it about that era’s music that continues to inspire you?

Joe: The experimentation of that era, the ideas and how much fun it is to try to make your own version of that music never gets boring.

Robyn: I’ve always been really attracted to the way records sounded in those days and the ideas of how recording and record production evolved at such an incredible pace. It never fails to keep me fascinated, thinking about recording studios!

During the group’s hiatus, some of you worked on side projects. How have those experiences, like the Bob of the Pops covers versions, influence the songwriting and production on Imaginary Friends?

Joe: Yeah, Robyn, Ben and Ash did a side project called Bob of the Pops where Robyn did his own versions of his favourite songs so that will have polished his musical technique. That is always a great way to get inspired, playing other peoples music and learning every part of a song.

Robyn: The Bob of the Pops recordings are a sort of musical chronological archive of my gradually learning to record using a laptop instead of a standalone home recording machine. An ambition for a long time. It was definitely helpful in terms of assisting Joe with some of the production of the new record.

Joe: Junipers hadn’t done any music for a while and then felt the urge to record a few new folky songs, so recorded them on an old tascam 4 track cassette recorder and released that under the name Yellow Pegs. That project also got us back into recording again. Not long after that the band Portable Radio asked a couple of us if we would play on their 2nd album Counting to Three so we had a sort of musical reunion doing that. Because we had the gear set up at our studio from doing Portable Radio we decided to casually re-record our first album, just playing around really because that album is owned by the label and we couldn’t press it on vinyl or sell it ourselves on Bandcamp etc. Re-recording it would mean we could own the rights to those songs again and do what we wanted with them. We managed to kind of sort that out with the label though so abandoned that project halfway through. Having all the recording gear set up at the studio we played around with some new songs with no intention of it being Junipers or even an album but 3 songs in we did get some accidental momentum and a theme and we ended up making an album.

As a band that’s been around since 2000, how do you think your sound has changed since Cut Your Key, and what has stayed true to your original vision?

Joe: Well, we got our first recording machine in 2000-ish so we kind of started then and evolved ever since. As a proper band we’ve been around since about 2005. Its all just a bit of fun for us. I don’t think our sound has changed too much. I think it changed purposely on our second album Paint the Ground cos we were listening to more folky stuff then and more 70s folk rock and we wanted to make our own little folk rock album. Then we just went back to making our little psychedelicy poppy stuff. But we do have a folky side too which occasionally comes out.

Do you approach your albums conceptually, or do they take shape naturally as the songs come together?

Joe: The second album definitely had a theme and a mood we were going for. We wanted to sound like we’d recorded it in a field or something and wanted to create the feeling of being out in nature away from it all. Other than that we usually just go “what would the Beatles do?” and see what happens. Red Bouquet Fair we had the title first so we did try to add a some sort of fairground feel to that and had that mood in mind while recording. The new one was good cos it was Imaginary Friends and its licence to just do songs about anyone and anything. Then its fun to do cover art for that cos its just a collage of characters. Some from the lyrics, some not. Its all imaginary anyway.

For those unfamiliar with The Junipers – what tracks of yours would you highlight?

Joe: If we were to give out a little sampler of our music to someone maybe we’d stick a track from each album. Maybe ‘Gordie Can’t Swim’ from first album, ‘Dandelion Man’ from 2nd album, maybe ‘Old Man’ from 3rd album and ‘She Looked Up at Stars’ from the new one.

What excites you most about releasing Imaginary Friends, and how do you hope listeners will connect with it?

Joe: We just want to make a few people smile if possible. It’s inoffensive enough, maybe too twee for some but we have a few followers who are on our wavelength who will listen and that is lovely and perfect for us cos it means you can keep doing your thing without thinking you need to change direction or anything. It’s nice to have a fourth Junipers album in the bag too. It never felt quite right only having three albums.

Robyn: Four feels much comfier than three and I hope there’s more in the imaginary future bag to come.

Buy Imaginary Friends Here!

Read the Full Interview Here

INTERVIEW FROM 2017 in LOUDER THAN WAR MAG...

The Junipers are a psychedelic pop band formed in Leicester in 2005, who have been releasing excellent material since their formation with their latest release Red Bouquet Fair gaining rave but hushed reviews across the board.

Similar in terms of the initial reception Nick Drakes albums received, Red Bouquet Fair has been released without much fanfare, but more than deserves the sames accolades as the above referenced folk genius. An album of beauty, with harmonies to take your mind away to a land filled with green summer grass, sunsets on the beach and a ice cool lemonade with a red striped straw, this is the album to listen to whilst you blissfully dreaming of holidays and for taking your cares away. I interview the band who give their low down on their background and who has influenced them:

Can you give us a bit of a low down and your musical backgrounds? 

JOE: my sister got into the Beatles. I used to nick her stuff & listen to it in secret. Saw Anthology on TV & that was it. Hooked on Beatles & ’60s & intrigued by the psychedelic era. Brian Matthew’s Saturday morning radio show sounds of ’60s too. Put me onto all sorts.

ROBYN: I’ve been playing in bands since I was 13.  Heavily influenced by the records given to me by my mum, when I was a pre-schooler.  (Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel bags of ’60s singles).

ASH: Always a lot of music in our house growing up. My Mam was a singer and my Dad played classical/flamenco style guitar so learnt a lot from them. Started off playing clarinet and sax then moved onto guitar and bass.

BEN:  I had 3 older brothers who all played, so it was always there as an influence.

PETE:  I wanted to be in a band from age of six. Best mate Joe begged me to join his psychedelic pop band an early version of The Junipers in 2002.

Why did you decide to pick up an instrument in the first place? 

ROBYN: I wanted to be a Beatle for as long as I can remember.  Watching the Monkees in school holidays during the ’80s as well.  I’ve always wanted to be in that sort of gang!

JOE: I wanted to play drums after seeing Ringo on Beatles anthology on TV. Wasn’t allowed a kit cos it was too loud, so i turned my attention to guitar.

PETE:  Watching Australian kids TV show Pugwall was my inspiration to learn the guitar age 12.

Who were your favourite bands growing up? 

ROBYN: Beatles, Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel… oh and The Muppets and BBC Sound Effects. (All pre-teen records I hammered to death.)

JOE: Beatles, Hollies, Beach Boys were my main bands. Got into other styles along the way like folk, country & ’70s bands also.

BEN: Buddy Holy, Beatles, Monkees, Kinks, then later britpop/ indie stuff.

ASH: Listened to a lot of Stones/Kinks/Neil Young/The Band growing up.

PETE:  Fave bands as a kid were Status Quo & Beatles.

Were you all friends before you got together as a band? 

Yes. Previous bands together (and all good mates, in advance).

Did you naturally fall into the sound that you have successfully released material with? 

JOE:  We’ve never forced a particular sound. We all have very similar record collections & have grown up listening to pretty much the same stuff as each other.  Which is pretty lucky really. We will all naturally refer to the music we know & love & that happens to be older music. Usually ’60s or ’70s. But we all have our own new bands & music that we like which will come out in our sound now & again.

There’s a distinct summer west coast guitar sound to your releases so far. Why was this chosen as the sound to the releases? 

JOE: It’s down to Brian Wilson & Curt Boettcher mainly.  When I first heard the Sagittarius album Present Tense & the Millennium album I knew that was the sound I personally wanted to try to achieve. We record & rehearse in our own studio in an old factory in Leicester.  So we try to play music that makes us feel like we’re in the sun or in the English countryside & not in the centre of Leicester on a cold Tuesday evening.

Are the releases all band efforts or is there a main singer writer? 

ROBYN : Joe is the creative well here.  The songs are written & then we all get together & see if we can make them sound half decent.

What’s the plan for the band in the future?

JOE:  Just to keep at it for now. As long as we enjoy it we’ll keep doing it. It’s just a social for us & a bit of fun making music. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.

ROBYN: More albums and singles.  We’re recording the follow up to Red Bouquet Fair at the moment. Then, we’ll do another one… I hope!

BUY THE JUNIPERS RED BOUQUET FAIR HERE!

READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE!

NEW ALBUM REVIEW ON "I DON'T HEAR A SINGLE" BLOG...

We prepare Review posts ahead as we never release ahead of a time that we can embed three selections and so most are on or just after the official release date. But we do get the benefit of plenty of listens before the words and music get posted.

This is making September really busy and The Junipers are first up, probably as they always should be, with this more than welcome new album. It also brings back memories of the start of IDHAS, 8 years ago. There were reviews of Vinyl issues of albums by both The Junipers and Caddy on the much missed Sugarbush Records label. Caddy follow this week.

Imaginary Friends is, as you might expect from them, a very melodic gentle affair. Crossing the boundary between 60s Psych Pop and 70s Pop Rock, but this time around there is a lot of time spent in my beloved Toytown.                                        

My Imaginary Friend, already heard by many as a single, is a great example of the Toytown on display. All village like and jaunty, but with added Lieutenant Pigeon piano and a slight air of Horace Wimp. But they are not all about whimsy. 

Red Song is simply beautiful, an hypnotic melotron arrangement on a song that has a slight Americana and Folk vibe. While You preside picks up the pace and gets a little West Coast funky with a rhythm that chugs gloriously.

You're My Sugar And Spice is all mid 60s Bubblegum and The Swarthy Smith is easy listening on opening, but then floats away, a fine piece of Piano Pop. Monday On My Back may be the gentlest thing on here, but is a great opportunity to reveal a splendid set of Backing Vocals.

Annie Almond is wonderful Psych Pop and there is the great marching bassline on Mary In The Rain and Hollow Song again gives the opportunity to their Beach Boys harmonies on a jaunty closer. Just wait for the twee solo. This is an album wonderfully performed and arranged, Imaginary Friends is an absolute joy. 

The mellotron is used to great effect rather than obviously and the Fairground feel on certain songs just adds to their appeal/ It is also ace to see Manchester's Portable Radio as part of the group. They are also a band that we know and adore who also feature on past reviews.

Buy The Junipers Imaginary Friends Here!

Read the Full Review Here!

ALBUM REVIEW ON POWER POPAHOLIC BLOG..

 The Junipers “Imaginary Friends”

The Junipers, a band from Leicester, combine psychedelic pop, mid-1960s bubblegum music, and a touch of folk on their most recent album, Imaginary Friends. Starting with “The Swarthy Smith,” a piano-driven melody that veers into bouncy wordless guitar chorus full of “oohs” and “ahhs,” as the sweet “You’re My Sugar and Spice” echoes the Toytown era of pop. “She Looked Up At The Stars” is another gem led by the ever-present mellotron.

The short “Annie Almond” is beautiful example of psych-pop, similar to the singles on Euphonious Trolley EP and “Mary in the Rain” has a McCartney-styled bass line that will stick in your head. The folk-inspired mellow feel of “Red Song” sets it apart, while the groovy, carnival whimsy of “Monkey On My Back” has organ sounds recalling “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” While not as immediate as I expected, after repeat plays you notice those subtle sonic details that are hidden just below the surface. Highly Recommended.

Read the Full Review on Power Popaholic Here!

ALBUM REVIEW IN "I DON'T HEAR A SINGLE" BLOG...

The Junipers - Imaginary Friends

We prepare Review posts ahead as we never release ahead of a time that we can embed three selections and so most are on or just after the official release date. But we do get the benefit of plenty of listens before the words and music get posted.

This is making September really busy and The Junipers are first up, probably as they always should be, with this more than welcome new album. It also brings back memories of the start of IDHAS, 8 years ago. There were reviews of Vinyl issues of albums by both The Junipers and Caddy on the much missed Sugarbush Records label. Caddy follow this week.

Imaginary Friends is, as you might expect from them, a very melodic gentle affair. Crossing the boundary between 60s Psych Pop and 70s Pop Rock, but this time around there is a lot of time spent in my beloved Toytown.

My Imaginary Friend, already heard by many as a single, is a great example of the Toytown on display. All village like and jaunty, but with added Lieutenant Pigeon piano and a slight air of Horace Wimp. But they are not all about whimsy. 

Red Song is simply beautiful, an hypnotic melotron arrangement on a song that has a slight Americana and Folk vibe. While You preside picks up the pace and gets a little West Coast funky with a rhythm that chugs gloriously.

You're My Sugar And Spice is all mid 60s Bubblegum and The Swarthy Smith is easy listening on opening, but then floats away, a fine piece of Piano Pop. Monday On My Back may be the gentlest thing on here, but is a great opportunity to reveal a splendid set of Backing Vocals.

Annie Almond is wonderful Psych Pop and there is the great marching bassline on Mary In The Rain and Hollow Song again gives the opportunity to their Beach Boys harmonies on a jaunty closer. Just wait for the twee solo. This is an album wonderfully performed and arranged, Imaginary Friends is an absolute joy. 

The mellotron is used to great effect rather than obviously and the Fairground feel on certain songs just adds to their appeal.

The album can be listened to and bought here. It is currently available on CD or as a download. A Vinyl version can be pre-ordered via the same link.

READ THE FULL REVIEW ON "I DON'T HEAR A SINGLE" BLOG 

NEW ALBUM REVIEW IN POPGRUPPEN...

The Junipers are back

That’s right – the Junipers are back – and that is cause for celebration!

Even though it has been 8 years since their previous album, Imaginary Friends feels like a direct continuation. This makes a lot of sense as their music exists in a time slip wedged between reality and imagination, where songs like ‘Flight From Ashiya’ by Kaleidoscope and ‘Some Other Someday’ by the West Coast Consortium are forever playing on an old portable radio. The Junipers nailed the formula already from the get go with 2008 album Cut Your Key and have stuck to it ever since: sun-drenched, softly introspective psychedelic pop of the highest order, built on great melodies and tasteful arrangements.

And it seems we have that debut to thank for this new album, as members Joe Wiltshire and Robyn Gibson set out to re-record it in 2023, since they did not have ownership of the original and couldn’t reissue it. However, it seems a deal with the original record label was struck, a remixed digital deluxe edition was released and attention was instead turned to new material.

And judging from the sheer quality of every track on this album, a lot of material seems to have been piling up over the inactive years. So far three digital singles have been issued, but in all honesty, every track here is a winner.

While not (yet) a single, the album starts with the slightly dreamy yet catchy ‘Swarthy Smith’ that ends with a backwards organ organically leading into upbeat love song ‘You’re My Sugar and Spice’. Starting with the lyric “You’re my sugar and spice / you’re looking very nice / I will sing a song of love” it has a summery feel that just spreads warmth all over. At this point, one might fear that they have front loaded the album, but that is when the single cuts kick in. ‘She Looked Up At the Stars’ is built around a repeating organ figure firmly rooted in the late 60s and ends on a psychedelic swirl. It is followed by another irresistible single cut, ‘Annie Almond’ about a girl who “breaks hearts every time”. Sweet but never sugary.

In the years since previous album Red Bouquet Fair, Robyn Gibson has released a series of albums with covers of favourite tracks as Bob of the Pops, and some of that experience certainly has rubbed off here. There is an incredible attention to every little detail, the songs never overstay their welcome. And while there are some psychedelic effects and playful overdubs, they are used sparingly – such as the backwards voice leads on ‘While You Preside’, which, by the way, is the first track with guitar to the fore. A piano then drives the melody on ‘Mary in the Rain’, highlighting a sequencing that thoughtfully provides sonic variation. On the introspective ‘Monkey On My Back’ we get beautifully multitracked vocals and understated mellotron, whereas ‘I’ve Been In Your Shoes’ even edges towards doo wop but without a hint of pastiche.

With title track and single cut ‘My Imaginary Friend’ we are back on firm pop ground and ‘Red Song’ adds an autumnal touch before the album ends with the perfectly formed pop ditty ‘Hollow Sky’.

I have never before referenced every single track in a review of an album, which says something about the quality control here. For over half a century, bands have taken inspiration from the late 60s, but only few manage something more substantial than a homage. Now here is an album that is fully transparent with its many influences, yet manages to stand proudly with them.

BUY THE ALBUM HERE!!

READ FULL REVIEW ON POPGRUPPEN HERE!!

NEW REVIEW FOR ALBUM "IMAGINARY FRIENDS" in THE POP CORPS...

When the world finds itself in dark times, art responds in a number of ways – one of the valuable replies to the horror of it all is the chance to escape. Lately, there’s been a number of great songs and albums that deal in dissolving your troubles away or living in pursuit of pleasure. With perfect timing, the greatest band in the world come back with a handful of daydreams, pocket symphonies and a paean to the purest forms of pop.

From the word go, The Junipers have been a salve for the soul, with consistently brilliant LPs, from the magical ‘Cut Your Key’, to the pastoral ‘Paint The Ground’, and the wonderful psychedelia of ‘Red Bouquet Fair’, and the releases between and supporting side projects. While there’s been variety, there’s always a pop perfection that runs through all of The Junipers’ music, crafting songs beautifully by hand, all shot through a Super 8 lens and a sun drenched hue that’ll make you long for summers long gone and yet to come.

In the press release, the band talk of “accidental momentum”, which honestly, could be the very energy that makes listening to the band feel like capturing lightning in a bottle – working at their own speed and revealing their music when the conditions are right. Naturally, as ever, the production on this new album is wonderful and they’ve already released two singles – the wonderful ‘She Looked Up At The Stars’ and ‘Annie Almond’, which cemented the band’s place as one of the truly great modern psychedelic pop acts.

A bonus video of the Pepperland brilliance of ‘My Imaginary Friend’ whetted the appetite for the new album even more and, sincerely, it is borderline criminal that they’re not talked about in the same breath as The Lemon Twigs, Foxygen and the rest.

The album kicks off with the charming ‘Swarthy Smith’, which has hallmarks of Shed Pop era McCartney – rustic, DIY, chugging pop with baroque flourishes a la Curt Boettcher and Sagittarius. It’s a theme that runs through the LP, with tape spools and mellotron on the woozy ‘Mary In The Rain’, ‘Monkey On My Back’ and super album closer ‘Hollow Rain’.

Amongst the popsike that we know and adore, there’s a welcome nod to ’70s glitter pop with the gently rowdy ‘While You Preside’ and the soft glam of ‘In Your Shoes’. The line from psychedelia to glam has always been there, but sections of this LP feel like a treasure map plotting the points between the two. Don’t expect to be putting your thumbs in your belt loops during this – but if you like Beatle Pop, Paisley Underground records, The Sweet’s ‘Funny Funny’, Carole King, Emmit Rhodes, Weyes Blood and all that good, well crafted stuff, you’re going to love this album.

That’s the thing with The Junipers – every album is loose and filled with air and light, but they land so fully formed at the same time. There’s not an ounce of fat on the songs, yet, never so rigidly crafted that it feels like an exercise in over-cleverness or pretentiousness – they’re hugely enjoyable and feel actively good for you. Each release thus far has been a tremendous tribute to all the good things about pop music, and this record is no different.

This may well be the album of 2024. It’s great to have them back.

BUY THE ALBUM HERE!!

READ THE FULL REVIEW ON POPCORPS HERE!!

Debut Album "CUT YOUR KEY" Available Again on CD..

 Our debut album from 2008 is once again available to buy on CD only from our Bandcamp Page. It is the original CD set with booklet and when you buy from Bandcamp you will receive a pin badge and the digital version of the album which includes a load of bonus tracks.

We haven't been able to sell the album for about 10 years because the record label owned the rights to the music and artwork. Standard music industry stuff but the logistics of selling the CD ourselves or doing a vinyl press was too complicated for simple folk like us. We will always be grateful to the label for taking a chance on us and funding the album in the first place and we have now come to an agreement with the them so we can now sell the original CD and digital album again. BUY HERE!

We would love to fund a vinyl release of the album but will need to see if the funds can be raised.

"A delightful record" - Mark Radcliffe, BBC 6 Music

"As chord changes eke out nostalgia and optimism in equal degrees, Side Two of Abbey Road is happily evoked" - Uncut Magazine

The Junipers make an absolutely beautiful sound" - Janice Long, BBC Radio 2

"They have a great sound going on, excellent stuff" - Marc Riley, BBC 6 Music

"Imagine Curt Boettcher and Brian Wilson double teaming McCartney's Ram. Nowhere near enough bands sound like prime Harry Nilsson nowadays" - Shindig! Magazine

"Like McCartney's bouncing pop ditties. Radio-friendly, lovable pop with it's hair in the stars" - Record Collector Magazine

"I love it, it makes me cry with nostalgia" - Mark Wirtz, Abbey Road producer


The Junipers debut album Cut Your Key was recorded with the bands first line up in 2007 after signing with San Remo Records.

The album was started when record label San Remo took a chance and signed the band for an album deal. The band and label searched for recording studios and producers for the right fit. John Leckie was even approached and Abbey Road was also discussed. After trialing a few places the band were not entirely happy with the results and felt that the feel of their original demos was missing. Eventually the band decided to record the album themselves at their own studio in Leicester with the drums being recorded between there and with Gavin Monaghan at Magic Garden studios in Wolverhamton, who'd produced a NO 1 hit record and known for his work with Broadcast, Robert Plant and Ocean Colour Scene. With the album almost complete a computer fault lead to the album being lost, being rookies the band had failed to back anything up. The band pulled themselves together and treated the first attempt as a practice run and re-recorded the album from scratch and captured it far better than the lost version. A blessing in disguise. 

Cut your Key received praise on radio from the likes of Mark Radcliffe, Janice Long, Marc Riley, Tom Robinson and Whispering Bob Harris. Tracks from the album appeared on magazine cover compilation CD's for Uncut Magazine, Word magazine, and Shindig! magazine. A track also appeared on iTunes "Hotly Tipped for 2009" compilation (how wrong they were LOL!). The single "Callooh Callay", taken from the album earned The Junipers "Single of the Week" on BBC Radio 2.

The digital Bandcamp exclusive version of the album includes brand new mixes and remasters. Also a few bonus items including the full original inlay and liner notes, outtakes, full instrumental version of the album, and the surviving tracks from the abandoned 2006 album for Manchester label Gardensticks.