The band Johan from Hoorn originated from the remains of Visions Of Johanna. They made a strong debut album in 1996, but then a difficult period started. The band members disagreed about the musical direction to be followed, while singer / guitarist and main songwriter Jacco de Greeuw fell into a depression. From the original line-up of Johan, only drummer Wim Kwakman remains on Pergola, next to De
… Greeuw. So the band had to start over both literally and figuratively, but it has been worth the long wait. Pergola has become a fantastic guitar pop record with twelve songs that are all sublime. Admittedly, it is not innovative music, but when performed so well and enthusiastically, it is almost impossible to get enough of it. When listening to it I sometimes thought of The Jayhawks (Day Is Done, Tumble And Fall), sometimes of REM (I Feel Fine, Tomorrow) and most of the Beatles (Paper Planes, How Does It Feel and the closing Here). However, they all remain Johan songs; it will never be cheap stealing. Through the very personal texts, De Gruik also gives us an account of the difficult period in his life. (MvP)more
