June-

"Genius"/"All of Me" 7"

 

Independent Weekly 11/23/94 "Somebody pointed out to me recently that on every song June has released, singer Kat Cook's vocals are completely up-front and reverb-free. These "dry" vocals are common to certain types of music, but they're almost unheard-of in the world of atmospheric pop that June inhabits. Cook can pull it off because she has an almost impossibly rich voice-high and tentative one minute, husky and aggressive the next. But Cook's vocals, prominent as they are, don't make this band. Like the band's previous two singles, June's latest illustrates that its secret weapon isn't Cook-it's everyone else. It takes a little patience to hear how vital the rest of the band members are. The first time I heard the B-side version of Cole Porter's 'All of Me', I didn't get it. It seemed too rockish to be authentic, yet too sedate to really pick up and move. It wasn't until I sat down and really listened to the song that I realized 'All of Me' is a masterpiece of texture. In combination with Tricia Tuttle's harmony vocals and guitar, Cook's vocals achieve a tense, quiet stasis that becomes almost unbearable by the end of the song. The song never provides any release-it ends on a long, measured solo by guitarist John Price. That's appropriate, because 'All of Me' is a song about being denied release: 'You took the part/that once was my heart/so why not take all of me?' You're left feeling the way the narrator must feel: helpless, denied even the solace of being fully swept away. 'All of Me' is a study in how to move an audience without screaming at them, an art that matters all the more in the noise-filled post-punk landscape."-Ross Grady Now Magazine-March 1995, Issue #7 June's latest has a nice full-color cover, was produced by Mitch Easter, and generally smacks of professionalism. 'Genius' heads this one up; it's a disjointed and slightly ominous curiosity-kind of like a drunken stroll through the freak show at a carnival. On the brighter side is 'All of Me'. Somehow this one spooks me out, too. It's a quirky sort of beautiful. June seems to be successfully escaping the lure of sounding like a million other indie rock bands. Their songs are becoming more unique with every release, while still being unmistakably June. That sounds like the key to success. Juice #18-June 1995. This has been out for awhile, but it's still worth reviewing because June is one of North Carolina's best pop bands. There's no A or B side, just two brilliant songs. Most notable is 'All of Me', the jazz standard that lead chanteuse Kat Cook turns into a classic on the strength of her beautifully plaintive singing. 'Genius' isn't quite as powerful, but it has all the elements of June's signature sound: alternately spooky, pretty and loud guitars backing completely lovely vocals. Jacket art: Picture of a woman clutching a sliced-open breadfruit. Very vaginal."-John Staton IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION # 18-July 1995 "Mitch Easter produced this 7" and perhaps this is what separates June from the array of Chapel Hill bands that are garnering attention these days. Instead of the usual carefree attitude that graces so many records, these songs sound professional, as though June took careful thought and consideration for every detail. Most important, though, is that this is not glossed-over corporate professionalism, but rather just the mark of artistic sensibility. It helps that both of these songs are absolute gems. Intelligent lyrics, dynamic vocals by Kat and Tricia, instrumentation (guitars, bass, drums, and violin) that knows when to hold back and when to press forward. This record is about as close to perfection as you can get."-Elliott Smith Popwatch #7 "Girl/guy indie rock out of Chapel Hill, NC. Produced by Mitch Easter?! Better than most and the B-side 'All of Me' is pretty good too."-Jamie     JUNE MAIN PAGE • DISCOGRAPHY HOME