Tuesday, February 4, was a much-anticipated date for fans of The Juliana Theory. The bands fourth release, Love, hit stores after nearly a four-month delay. This is the bands first release since they switched record labels from Tooth and Nail to Epic in 2001.



Although the CD was just released, the band has been touring and teasing fans by previewing upcoming music for months now. The CD was originally slated for release in October. Rumors that the band has sold out to the mainstream of music have been floating around, leaving many fans skeptical of this new release.



The big moment finally arrived Tuesday evening and I had the joy of putting Love into my CD player for the first time. After a few seconds of play I thought to myself, Uh-oh, Im not too sure about this. The first song, "Bring It Low is a bit hard and unfamiliar-sounding. The second track, Do You Believe Me?, has been released as a single and I have heard it played live in concert, so the familiarity of it brought me some comfort. Both the lyrics and the music from tracks 3-5 reminded me of songs from their EP release, Music From Another Room, which is not widely known or recognized, but I could hear sounds of The Juliana Theory I know and love.



Jewel to Sparkle, track six, brought a big smile to my face. Now this was what I had expected to hear from the band. Immediately I recognized it as one of their songs and it was a good one. Not only was the music familiar, but the lyrics rang true of The Juliana Theory. Their second and most popular album, Emotion is Dead, is in the style most often associated with the band. White Days, track seven, also aligns itself with this distinct sound fans are looking for. This is probably one of my favorite songs on the new album. The instrumental value, harmony and lyrics nearly scream to fans, I am a classic Juliana Theory song.



From this point on the album progresses in a fashion that is familiar yet new and exciting, effectively portraying the Juliana trademark of uniqueness, originality and musical talent. The beginning of Love is very different from the other albums. Lead singer Brett Detar told us in concert that he wanted to try some new stuff and break out of the genre and this album was a chance to do this. I can hear the difference in many of their songs. Once you get accustomed to the new sound the album just gets better and better. The last few songs, such as Trance and As It Stands also have familiar sounds that remind me of their older material.



Love is a theme in the majority of the songs. The Juliana Theory has been labeled by fans as an "Emo" band. Whether or not they would agree with this assessment, I do not know, but there is no denying the strong emotional component found within the band's lyrics and music. The cover art is full of emotion as well. A collaboration of random pictures, including weapons, hands, birds, snakes and hearts, is portrayed on the front and communicates well the feeling of the CD.



The band will continue to tour across the United States promoting their new release. Although they will not pass through Oklahoma again, they will be coming to Dallas with Something Corporate on February 24, and I would highly recommend making the drive to see them. As wonderful as their CDs are, they put on an even better live. Despite my initial skepticism I was not disappointed with the new album. Although it is different, different is not a bad thing. I would highly recommend the new CD both to old and new fans alike.




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