JPS experience - Bleeding Star

JPS experience, or to use their full (and rather pretensious) name, Jean Paul Sartre experience), were Flying Nun label-mates of fellow Kiwis Straightjacket Fits, whose Blow album was previously reviewed in this blog. Like The House of Love, JPS experience played sublime indie pop with a shoegazer influence.
Imagine an amiable sounding Luke Haines fronting JAMC (Jesus and Mary Chain) and you're in the right ballpark!

Bleeding Star was the band's fourth and final album. Opener Into you is sublime noisy atmospheric pop, with drawn out and dreamy vocals and great shoegazer guitars which give the song a similar feel to Bowie's Heroes. Ray of Shine is a lighter and poppier song which uses The House of Love approved tremolo guitar to great effect.

Spaceman is based around a (sampled?) shoegazer guitar hook which continues throughout most of the song. The stop-start bassline provides a subtle groove, and extra guitars pile in to provide added dynamics as appropriate.

Still can't be seen is subdued, based around clean guitar and vocals, with interesting atmospheric guitar effects and reverse tracked lead guitar. It has a early JAMC acoustic influence (e.g. Some Candy Talking), right down to the Jim Reid like vocal twang. Modus Vivendi continues the JAMC theme, with the shoegazer feedback guitar giving a feel similar to You trip me up

Bleeding star has a subtle groove, with whispered vocals, chiming guitars, and an uplifting chorus. Breathe is sparse and relaxed, with lolloping bass, reverberated vocals, and guitars drooping in and out.

Block features a doomy atmospheric intro, before settling into a slow subtle groove, driven by a Walk on the wild side influenced bassline which carries melody throughout verses, while the guitars provide a subdued atmospheric sound collage. Angel features subtle vocals and chiming arpeggiated guitar over radio conversation.

JPS experience - 1993 - Bleeding Star

1. Intro
2. Into You
3. Ray of Shine
4. I Believe in You
5. Spaceman
6. Still Can't Be Seen
7. Bleeding Star
8. Breathe
9. Modus Vivendi
10. Block
11. Angel

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