Friday, November 28, 2008

JUNIPER LANE "Wake From Yourself" DJ Boy

AWAKING FROM A DEEP sleep is a common metaphor, but on Juniper Lane's "Wake From Yourself" it's more than that. When singer-keyboardist Vivion Smith sings "Coma," she's referring to a serious rock-climbing accident that left her comatose. "I can't remember a thing," she recalls in the song, a piano-based ballad that contemplates helplessness. Yet that sensation is not expressed by the local quartet's music, which is designed to dominate arenas.

Where some bands strive for a singular sound, Juniper Lane plays familiar modern rock, blending introspective musings and U2-like anthems with a hint of synth-pop. The arrangements are keyed to Smith's pliant soprano, which ranges from breathy to full-throated. Such songs as "All the Desperate People" smoothly track her vocal transitions, without turning bland during the quieter passages or strident during the climaxes. There are no stylistic surprises in such churning rockers as "Take Me Home," but their precision surges are satisfying nonetheless.

-- Mark Jenkins

Appearing Saturday with Against Grace and Zelos at Iota (703-522-8340, www.iotaclubandcafe.com). Show starts at 9 p.m.