JJ Rane – Back into the River (EP Review)

Today’s review features JJ Rane’s new EP “Back into the River.” The artist notes “JJ Rane is the brainchild of Jon Matwiv, who initially crafted the project as a one-man endeavor” in the vein of “Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson.” Matwiv cites as his inspiration the “raw intensity of early 2000s alternative rock” coming out of the Pacific Northwest & Western Canada.

So let’s have a listen …

The first track is title cut Back into the River and nicely sets the pallet for this tasty new release. Very Soundgarden influenced. The voice nails it. Everything is in its place and interesting chord changes. I love the acoustic guitar break in the middle of the song. This is the best song on this EP.

The second track Hell of a Lie is the EP’s single. Has a very in-your-face lead guitar riff. Loving the lead guitar solo 2/3 of the way through the song, particularly as the chord progression in the bridge changes, then back into the chorus. Very nice. Still, I think the first song might make a better single.

In the Middle of Two Worlds has a pulsating rhythmic feel, accentuated by the hard eighth note drum beat in sync with the bass and rhythm guitars. Interesting chord changes in this song. The song fades away at the end.

Wake Up, the fourth track, starts off with a funky acoustic guitar then is immediately joined by the rest of the band. I would have preferred the acoustic guitar riff to get more sunlight at the beginning of the song. You can still hear it in the mix, but a bit drowned by the other instruments. The chorus hits at about 1:40 reminding us all to “wake up.” I’m really enjoying the female vocalist singing background vocals in this track. Very epic!

Back into the River II (Alternate Version). This version focuses on the acoustic rhythm guitar. You can hear the vocals better in this version, though I really liked the first version. More of a songwriter’s version. Still a great song. Digging the lead guitar solo on this version and the brain-challenging complex chord progressions and arrangement in this song.

This EP features an impressive lineup of musicians on select tracks:
“Jon Button on bass (Sheryl Crow, The Who), Nik Hughes on drums (Bush), Mike Smith on drums (Chayce Beckhamm, Trapt, Tantric), and Lea Cappelli on vocals (L’FREAQ). The first single, “Hell of a Lie,” was also mixed by legendary producer Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady).”

SCORE/Excellent: The songwriting and song arrangements on this EP are top-notch. Excellent production and musical performances! I really love the title cut and think it should be its own single. If you like the grungy sound of the early 2000s, get this EP and see if you agree! Much love, Beth

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

Follow JJ Rane On: Instagram