J Church - Society Is A Carnivorous Flower

Not many bands playing this style of music have managed to stick around since 1992, so J Church deserves props for that. With a sound very typical of the early-mid 90's San Francisco punk scene, the band is comparable to a watered down mix of Jawbreaker/Samiam/etc. While not being excessively original or exciting, Society is a Carnivorous Flower shouldn't let anyone down--it's got the straight-forward pop-punk style the band is known for. But I don't think this record will be effective in helping the band acquire new fans. This is the kind of record you'd expect from a band that hasn't been around too long. Some of the lyrics are very mediocre (though some are above average), the songs aren't awful, but they're not interesting. With nearly twelve years under their belts, you'd think J Church would have either progressed immensely or given up by now. I guess my biggest problem with the album is the inconsistency, musically and lyrically. Not to mention the line "They haven't noticed that Wilco is totally played out," from "Austin's Shitty Limits." Take a note from yourselves, guys. [www.noidearecords.com]