The John-Pauls’ new second LP, Bon Mots, plays off traded leaded vocals – Phillip Niemeyer’s scouring Lou Reed deadpan to Mikila Zaorski’s ennui-soaked, twanged trill. Layered atop the gritty post-punk triple-guitar riffs, the quintet manages to swerve both gritty and hypnotically dreamy. Water Damage meanwhile unloads industrial ambience behind the droning barrage of last year’s Repeater. The experimental sevenpiece leans on a double bass (Nate Cross, Jeff Piwonka) and triple drum (Thor Harris, Greg Piwonka, Mike Kanin) attack, accented by Travis Austin’s bowed guitar and George Dishner’s maddening synth.
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— Doug Freeman
