JOHN, formed of, of course, two men named John, John Newton (drums, lead vocals) and John Healey (guitar, backing vocals) to be exact, have never been a band that fits neatly into any one box. They certainly take inspiration from the post-punk revival, leaning more on the Idles or Fontaines D.C. style of spiky, energetic post-punk than the whiney, pretentious post-punk boy bands of the genre’s recent resurgence, yet there’s always been an abrasive, noise rock edge to JOHN that sets them apart from the crowd. On their new album A Life Diagrammatic, JOHN delve deeper than ever before into their heavier side as well as some more experimental sounds than we’ve heard on their previous releases.
To avoid the cliché of saying that JOHN sound massive “for a two piece”, JOHN simply sound massive. Throughout A Life Diagrammatic expect to be pummelled by punchy, well mixed drums, deep, meaty riffs and John Newton’s signature raspy shout. Album opener “At Peacehaven” flies out of the gate with tight grooves and hench distorted guitar riffs before transitioning into a wide, reverb drenched soundscape hinting at more depth than expected from these two loud, shouty men. Fans of the aforementioned Idles style of post-punk will immediately fall in love with JOHN’s caustic, animated energy but, with their more complex, ambient sections, JOHN may even appeal to fans of more niche artists like And So I Watch You From Afar or fellow London based duo Cassels
“To avoid the cliché of saying that JOHN sound massive “for a two piece”, JOHN simply sound massive”
JOHN’s more avant-garde elements don’t distract from their punk spirit, with tight, booming rhythms and intense, distorted riffs, instead, allowing it to create a backdrop for some of their loftier ideas. Moments like actor Simon Pegg’s monologue on the scratchy, performance-led track ‘Media Res’ or the steady build up on “A Submersible” only help to amplify the explosive punk crescendos. On A Life Diagrammatic JOHN forge their own path into the realm of cinematic punk, colliding punchy punk rhythms and abrasive, shouted vocals with deep, rich soundscapes and intricate conceptual ideas.
It’s a testament to JOHN’s ability as songwriters that A Life Diagrammatic can hold so many sophisticated ideas while still remaining totally accessible, bringing some of these concepts into some of the more radio friendly tracks on the album. Tracks like ‘Service Stationed’, with its propulsive rhythm and catchy hook bolstered by huge gang vocals in the chorus, or ‘Ridley Scott Walker’, which, despite a guest appearance from eclectic musician and David Lynch collaborator Barry Adamson, manages to remain accessible with an earworm guitar riff and a shout-along vocal hook in the chorus. Both of these tracks work fantastically as standalone post-punk singles, scraping in under the four minute mark making them perfect for radio play and relegating some of JOHN’s more outlandish ideas to their indirect, poetic lyrics.
“It’s a testament to JOHN’s ability as songwriters that A Life Diagrammatic can hold so many sophisticated ideas while still remaining totally accessible”
A Life Diagrammatic’s closing track ‘The Common Cold’ is a highlight of the album, leaning hard into JOHN’s noise rock tendencies as a gloriously extreme crescendo. It’s a bit of a jarring shift following nine tracks of relatively stripped-down, if abrasive and energetic, post-punk tracks with this climactic beatdown of noise, with thunderous synths and John Healey’s fuzz-laden guitar soundscape backing John Newton’s repeated, distorted screams. JOHN explored this side of their sound on tracks like ‘Ridley Scott Walker’ and ‘At Peacehaven’ but it would’ve been great to hear them dive this deep into noise territory earlier in the album.
On their heavily anticipated fourth album A Life Diagrammatic, JOHN combine their twin passions of hefty riffs and intricate, conceptual ideas. Bouncing confidently between punchy rhythms and deep soundscapes as a backdrop for their shouted vocals, JOHN deliver a deliberately crafted experience that captures their cinematic punk style perfectly.