The Junior Varsity - Wide Eyed

Sometimes the glamour of a Friday night football game can be a little much. Teenage athletes are often already spoiled by the lights – many of them having learned to make a good show for the cameras after only a few games on the varsity squad. This is why a freshmen or a J.V. game can be a breath of fresh air. The kids aren’t playing to pad their statistics or to get their faces in the papers. They’re doing it because they enjoy it. They may make a lot of mistakes and their bodies might be awkward, but the game’s got soul because it’s pure. Even still, there’s a big reason why the varsity game is more entertaining: The level of play is much, much better. This is where things stand right now with The Junior Varsity, an appropriately titled and steadily budding band from the Chicago pop punk scene. They’ve got all the energy and heart in the world. But they just don’t have the goods or the experience to run with the big boys – yet. The J.V.’s latest EP, Wide Eyed, smacks of enthusiasm and immaturity. They have grown quite adept at busting out sugar-coated melodies, but all the catchy hooks in the world can’t save their sophomoric songwriting. It’s obvious that the album is meant to be flighty, but the shotgun method requires a level of subtlety the J.V. isn’t up to at this point in their career. Moments that are meant to be clever, like the one when bassist Asa Dawson sings “pull up your shirt / show your baby fat to the world,” come off about as well as one of Bud Bundy’s pickup lines – they mean well, but they're too spacey to help out the cause. There are a few spots when the J.V. seems to be on the right rack. “What It Meant To Be Clean” is a train wreck of a tune that beautifully captures the tension of a heated family argument. And Dawson shows off some impressive pipes on “When We Meet Aliens...,” the album’s other rock solid cut. The Junior Varsity just might have what it takes to cut it on the big time circuit. But they need a little more time to grow into the role. [www.thejuniorvarsity.com]