"the string of sequels that play every weekend on the wall of a dive bar starring you and all your shy friends"
The Juniper Berries is the musical project of Austin based (by way of Oregon) singer, songwriter, musician Josh Stirm and the opening track, A Tap On the Shoulder, from his self-titled sophomore full length (2020) is an unquestionably surprising post punk track with art rock affections. The musical narrative here is so engaging, from the dissonant guitar reflections stirring slowly at first before the beat kicks up and kicks in. Stirm's vocal aesthetic feels folk indie pure, a croon that feels part sad core and part art rock glam cooing curious lyrics that feel inside out. The guitar sounds highlighted with an exquisitely spatial production is full of surprises, including the deliciously wicked lead guitar lines... holy fuck. That aforementioned engaging narrative with horror pop synths feels like a surreal slide into a mysterious party house with twisted surprises in each room.
“A lot of people write songs about how they think the world works, but with this record I wanted to throw a wrench in all of that. Everything is relative, and things are a lot more complicated than that,” - Josh Stirm
-Robb Donker Curtius
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While some stories of young adulthood celebrate those golden days, The Juniper Berries documents life in a small liberal arts college with a smile and a raised eyebrow. Taking equal inspiration from the expansive guitar rock odysseys of Built to Spill as the intimate lyricism of Elliott Smith, the Austin-via-Oregon songwriter Josh Stirm snips away at the supposed certainties that come from the ego of youth.
“I’m still figuring out what the hell is going on, so each song is a way to remember a lesson for later,” Stirm says. The Juniper Berries provide him the perfect vehicle, surrounding his wry lyricism with a swirl of sublime instrumentation. As the sole constant in the band’s lineup, Stirm’s lithe falsetto anchors the album. Since releasing their debut in 2017, The Juniper Berries collected dozens of songs while gigging across the West Coast. The Juniper Berries wears it’s road-tested energy well, each song bounding gleefully from tightly poised structure to bounce-along jam and back.
After writing in the lush college town of Ashland, Oregon about finding his place in the crowds of young artists eager to get out, Stirm himself decamped for an internship at the legendary Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas. The studio has played home to sessions that inspired The Juniper Berries, from The Mountain Goats to Thee Oh Sees, and the experience Stirm received opened his eyes. After studio owner Tony Rancich learned he had a band, Rancich listened to early single “Winning Streak” and offered Stirm time in the studio to work on the record.
One listen to “Winning Streak” and it’s clear not only what Rancich heard in the record, but also the wide stream of inspiration that fuels Stirm’s music. A tumbling guitar line and Western keys lope their way in unison between Stirm’s deceptively sweet falsetto verses. “I hope you’re different now/ Nobody’d put up with anything else anyhow,” he arcs, his roiling guitar solo arcing like lightning.
As the album ends one chapter with the renewed strength of his present, Stirm is already building to the next phase of the band in Austin, with the project’s third record already in the works. “Queen of Taboo”, one of the last tracks written for The Juniper Berries, hints at that new direction. Splashy synths and hazy vocals blend like watercolors, punctuated by head-banging percussive bursts and a wordless vocal melody.
“A lot of people write songs about how they think the world works, but with this record I wanted to throw a wrench in all of that. Everything is relative, and things are a lot more complicated than that,” Stirm explains.
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