REVIEW: Jupiter Coyote, Here Be Dragons (Autonomous/Roadrunner)
- Sean Eric McGill
Ten years ago, the concept of a band selling 100,000 copies of their album without a major record company contract was virtually unheard of. But as technology (most notably the Internet) has advanced, it's become easier for a band to find ways to sell their product. Of course, playing live doesn't hurt, either, and that seems to be the preferred method for Jupiter Coyote. The Macon, GA-based five-piece has (according to their press materials) been on the road for the past five years, selling albums and forming "a legion of staunch supporters and a doggedly loyal fanbase".
It's not hard to see how. With a sound that falls somewhere between Hootie and the Blowfish and the Dave Matthews Band, Jupiter Coyote play a form of infectious beer-drinking guitar rock that makes it impossible for you not to at least bob your head in time with the music. This is music that was designed with live performance in mind, with most of the best tracks clocking in at over six minute each, giving the album a sort of recorded jam feeling.
And while the title refers to a nautical designation for uncharted land, Jupiter Coyote don't really chart any new territory themselves, but that's not a detriment to the album by a long shot. But that isn't to say there's nothing original going on here, either. Matt Mayes' "guijo" - what seems to be a Stratacaster body with a banjo neck invented by Mayes - does give the album a unique sound in the guitar department.
And anyone who has read their fair share of my reviews in Consumable knows what a stickler I am for songwriting - which is something that Jupiter Coyote does a damn good job of doing. Songs like "Words" and "Better" are finely crafted rock songs, as are the remainder of the songs on the album.
Here Be Dragons is a well-made rock 'n roll album, and perhaps the perfect album to start off the summer with. Unless, of course, you plan on spending your summer dressed in black or locked in your room playing whatever new videogame comes down the pike this summer. As for me, I'll be at the ballpark having a beer.
