Butterfly Jones – Napalm Springs
Butterfly Jones is a new band that might sound familiar to fans of early-90s alternative rock – the group’s core is guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael Gurley and drummer/songwriter Phil Leavitt, two-thirds of the band dada. They bring their guitar-driven alt-rock sound to Butterfly Jones, with up-tempo songs that charge forward with great enthusiasm and thoughtful ballads that don’t go overboard on the emotion.
Standout songs on the album include “Suicide Bridge”, which has some excellent work on violin, viola and cello. Like many of the songs on the album, Bridge tiptoes on the line dividing hope and despair, with the narrator daring to lean toward hope – the bridge says, “In an instance everything can turn around / In an instance everything is lost / And all is found.”
“The Systematic Dumbing Down Of Terry Constance Jones” is a little bit odd, as Gurley gives a first-person perspective of the title character changing her ambitions to fit society’s expectations – it’s a very smart song, and I like it a lot, but I don’t know if people will find it presumptuous that Gurley would assume to speak for women in this way. I hope not.
“Are We In Love Again” ought to be the theme song for every on-again/off-again relationship, and is darned catchy besides. I particularly like the chorus, in which the title phrase alternates with quick yes-or-no questions that bounce between the yes-I-
love-you-no-I-can’t-stand-you extremes that have the narrator so confused. Gurley’s vocals, solid throughout the album, really shine here.
These three songs are probably my favorites on the disc, but there’s not a bad song on the album. Definitely worth a listen or five.
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- Napalm Springs (4:19)
- Suicide Bridge (4:25)
- Anywhere But Now (3:44)
- Sophie (3:05)
- Alright (6:01)
- Are We In Love Again (3:28)
- Wonder (3:13)
- Sunshine And Ecstacy (2:43)
- Blue Roses (4:06)
- The Systematic Dumbing Down Of Terry Constance Jones (3:43)
- When People Are Mean (2:44)
- It’s Cool Dude (4:15)
- Dreamtime (3:12)
- Please (3:05)
Released by: Vanguard
Release date: 2001
Total running time: 47:12
