Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind - Collectiv

Jim Jones' bands have been high on my list of fave groups since Thee Hypnotics, right through Black Moses and the Jim Jones Revue. This latest project - already 5 years into it, which is hard to believe - continues on with many of the sounds'n'styles of the Revue, but with its own idiosyncrasies and with some new characters. There have been some turnover in the line-up but this record consists of Gavin Jay on bass, Mal Troon on guitar (Jim also plays), Matt Millership on keys and Andy Marvell on drums, along with a large cast of supporting characters, including Thee Hypnotics' own guitar superstar, Ray Hanson!

True power crunch that wouldn't have sounded outta place in the Revue opens "Sex Robot", although maybe even harder'n'heavier than the rockin' Revue, but with a similar groove.  With the rockin' piano work, wailin' sax and chain gang backing vocals, "Satan's Got His Heart Set On You" sounds even more like something off of The Savage Heart, as does the Nice Cave meets the Stooges "I Will Fall" waves-of-noise sounds of "O Genie". Totally dig the slightly off-kilter-but-rockin' guitars in "Attack of the Killer Brainz" that evolve into a high energy Detroit-styled treat, complete with Ray Sonic Hanson's lead guitar work! "Meth Church" is a dark, moody'n'atmospheric ballad, and again, I am reminded of Nick Cave, but there are plenty of other touchstones here, as well.

Also, once again, Jim makes me think that he is working on a David Lynch soundtrack with cuts like the slow, dramatic, strings'n'keys'n'female-chorus-laden "Dark Secrets" then they move into some heavy soul/gospel in "I Found a Love" followed by the power-chord drenched, throat abusing mayhem of "Out Align" (hah!), a Leonard Cohen-esque ballad in "Going There Anyway" before concluding with a mid-tempo slide stomper, "Shazam".

I think that anything that Jones is associated with is gonna be more than worth your while and this is another excellent venture! Looking forward to hearing more from this combo!