Sal Paradise

Item: For You and Before You
Author: Chris M. Short

For You and Before You

(2001)

Reviewed by Chris M. Short

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Label Velvet Blue MusicHM Magazine #90July/August 2001

acoustic indie rock lo-fi

People are going to try to say that this is a "worship record." Which is not accurate. This must be understood right here and right now. I don't know what possesses folks in this cute little shiny happy subculture to deem an acoustic (oh heck, just a mellow) record by a former rocker (especially an "alternative" rocker) worship. Honey's Lost On You was called a great modern worship record on more than one occasion. It was simply drug music for teetotalers. City On a Hill was the mastermind of alt-rockers from the Choir and most definitely deemed a worship record, oh wait . . that one is supposed to be a worship record (for crying out loud, it's subtitled Songs of Worship & Praise).

Face it, when an indie rocker writes spiritual songs, and plays acoustic ghee-tar, Christians think of the Jesus Movement and Mustard Seed Faith with flowers in their hair and straight-edge freakouts that lead to JPUSA or something equally New Testament. Just because JJ Miller (and JJ Miller is Sal Paradise) plays an acoustic guitar and sings about spiritual things doesn't mean it belongs with City On a Hill and Alternative Worship. Further, if this were a standard 'Praise & Worship' record, the best songs would be "Unknown Love" and "Friday." They just happen to be the worst songs on the record.

Sal Paradise was signed to then indie-brats Tooth & Nail Records in the mid 90s. They released one stunning record of Aussie indie rock (think Pavement being influenced by the Church rather than the Fall) titled Further. Three songs from that record find their way onto For You and Before You: "Lost Maps," "Celestial Railway," and "Sideways." It's easy for these to be the highlights, because they were so fine the first time around. Miller does nothing to corrupt them, only slowing them down and using an acoustic guitar with touches of an electric and some percussion.

Miller and his ghee-tar could just let the four-track roll, but he uses electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and a variety of percussion. This is welcomed, as it allows Miller to be a Twenty-First Century Boy while remaining a 60s folky-organic sissy. "Inbetween Times" and "Venturesome" are delightful acoustic pop numbers that recall the Church or recent Go-Betweens more than Simon & Garfunkel. "Inbetween Times" is an especially tasty pop morsel. "Low" is a melancholy track with oboe splendidly incorporated.

JJ Miller is not Mark Kozelek, nor Belle & Sebastian. He definitely is not Nick Drake. JJ Miller is a songwriter and a singer, thank you very much. And if the songs are spiritually themed (i.e. worshipful), it is because Miller is reflecting who he is, not because he is creating a Praise & Worship Genre record.