John and Jehn/ Time For The Devil

John & Jehn
Time For The Devil
(Naive)

Blind faith has a bad rap these days, what with religious psychopaths stealing the media spotlights. But there's an era of faith that maintains a poetic endurance; the early American gospel scene that carried black Americans such as Aretha Franklin with a sense of purpose; that simple idea that if you fall, someone will catch you. The idea that a voice and a piano are the only tools you need to feel something invisible yet present, something wonderfully compelling.
It's madness to think that a record called ‘Time For The Devil’ would conjure up thoughts about gospel music, but there you go; John & Jehn are a really unique French duo who have that knack for abandoning the rational and writing music which leans on something sacred.
This record is a awash with black vinyl production and amazing tunes. 'Shy' sounds like The Strokes if they were French and owned a poetry café. 'Vampire' is gay (in the old sense, of course) and feels like the original Nosferatu movie performed as a surrealist cabaret. 'And We Run' is a farewell to friends stretched to wide screen pop, while 'Love Is Not Enough' feels like an NYC street beat; you can almost smell the chewing gum rotting on the side walk, but it's entirely romantic.
And speaking of faith, you'll need to take a leap of it to check these two out; they're as surreal as Man Ray shooting a nude, but once you've acclimatised, ‘Time For The Devil’ will illustrate pictures in your mind that are not just pleasing, but pro actively inspiring too. Amen Sister!