(Muso's Guide, October 8, 2009)
Single review
Where do musical greats come from? The Smiths were straight outta Salford, all working-class woes and Manc miserabilism. Radiohead made the trek into rock’s back pages from Oxford, with the attendant intellect that that entails. But what of Johnny Foreigner?
On paper, the raucous trio are from Birmingham, but to chain them to any earthbound landscape, in the Midlands or otherwise, seems to be missing the point. Johnny Foreigner buck the trend, and everyone’s preconceptions, by sounding just out of this world.
Since the band’s formation from the ashes of several indie also-rans, singer Alexei Berrow has ploughed himself an astonishingly convincing frontman furrow, complete with handsome swagger and devil-may-care attitude.
On ‘Criminals’, they channel Chemikal Underground’s awesome Bis and Fight Like Apes - chaotic guitars over tight, rumbling drums and boy-girl vocals. ‘Your town’s run by criminals’ goes the chorus line, and it’s all you can do not to pogo without remorse.
‘Camp Kelly Calm’ starts off as a tuneful, endearing pop tune, but quickly morphs into the sort of enthusiastic punk pop that JF are renowned for. ‘Wow. Just Wow.’ owes more to Pixie-like thrash and madness than melodious influences, but really Johnny Foreigner’s exuberant pop thrives on joy. The songs here are the sound of yoof and the future of everything, if we’re lucky.
Johnny Foreigner are special and intelligent. Listeners are challenged to remain stationary during one of their top tunes.
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