This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Poor li’l J. Englishman.
If he were from New York of L.A., this disc — a winning batch of smartly written, stylishly produced modern pop-rockers — would be hyped in Spin and CMJ and he’d be performing for Conan and Dave. But since he’s from Toronto, he’ll probably have to make do with a blurb in Chart and a slot on Mike Bullard before he goes back to his gig at Starbucks. So if you want to hear this impressive debut from a talented singer-songwriter, you’ll have to seek it out on your own. And if you dig his style — which touches on everything from trip-folk balladry to industrial metal — well, rest assured you won’t have local radio ramming it down your throat until you get sick of it. So much for the life of a Canadian rockstar.
