I hate to resort to the "This is the best thing ____ has ever done" cliché yet again, but such words seem unavoidable in the case of J Prozac's new album Won't Let Go. This pop-punk lifer and all-around great dude of the underground music scene has been fronting bands since the '90s. My favorite record of his was his 2014 solo release Here Is My Heart, but now he has gone out and topped it! Out now on Rum Bar Records, Won't Let Go is literally a lifetime achievement. It pulls together all of Jay's past and present influences into a collection of songs that come together like a musical diary. It manages to be both a classic pop-punk album and an expansion of the form. Perhaps I'm biased, but I feel like the secret ingredient to this record (and all of Jay's records, really) is the likeability factor. Once this guy opens his mouth to sing, you just can't help rooting for him. You can feel the sincerity and genuine humanity in his words and vocals. Won't Let Go is an album about a lot of things, but a prevailing theme is love and gratitude for family and friends. Whatever quality it is that makes this sort of heart-on-sleeve approach work, Jay has got it in spades. He's at his best when he's singing about the things that are the most meaningful to him. On this record, he really leans into that aspect of his songwriting. And I love every minute of it.
Nobody will ever question Jay Gauvin's ability to write a perfect pop-punk song. But on Won't Let Go, he broadens his musical approach without straying too far from what he does best. There was always a pretty clear line separating pop-punk from more polished "melodic punk" in the '90s and early 2000s. Songs like "Regret" and the soaring title track seamlessly combine those two aesthetics in a way that's immensely satisfying. Why choose between the Lookout! and Fat Wreck camps when you can love both? Elsewhere, Jay adds just enough musical variety to keep you on your toes. "For the World" could almost be a Kurt Baker song. Can I describe "Claustrophobic" as "emo" without it seeming like a slight? "Days Go By" starts out as a heartfelt acoustic number and ends up an anthemic punk rock sing-along. One could easily dismiss this approach as having "been done" before, but the execution will smash your cynicism to pieces. This is as real and raw music gets: the pain palpable in his voice as Jay sings about loss and the importance of cherishing every moment we have with the people we love. If you can't relate to that, you aren't human.
Of course you can still expect some great textbook pop-punk with this being a J Prozac album. When Jay tears into his signature musical style on songs like "People I Know" and "No Matter", it's a joyous thing to behold. "Building Blocks" is, as the erudite reviewer Niek would describe it, master class level pop-punk. As Jay sings from his son's point of view, I can't help but think this wisdom applies to all of us as well. What good is life if we stop playing and learning? And I suppose I must address the disturbing "J Prozac is going to ruin a Dirt Bike Annie song" rumor that's been going around. His version of "Thirteen Days" turns out to be super awesome and perfectly complementary to the original songs on the album. I love that this cover acknowledges a crucial influence on Jay's songwriting -- and that members of DBA were willing to contribute to the song!
It seemed inevitable that J Prozac and Malibu Lou would eventually join forces. And what a way for this partnership to debut! In typical Rum Bar fashion, Won't Let Go is a splendidly-packaged compact disc release. The CD comes with six bonus tracks and features amazing cover art by Paulinho Tscherniak (who also did the cover for the similarly-spirited new album by Lesser Creatures). I seem to be gravitating of late to bands and artists who disprove the notion that pop-punk as a genre is inherently lightweight and adolescent. Won't Let Go affirms once again that "grown-up" pop-punk is an actual thing and a thriving one at that. From Jay's heart straight to yours, this is the very definition of meaningful music. My shame over having once trashed the second Grand Prixx 7" is surpassed only by my thankfulness that Jay was never discouraged by pretentious asshats like me. Long may the king reign!
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