A Future Lived in Past Tense
Juno
DeSoto Records

There are some records that are made to be nothing more than background noise and fodder to break the silence of an empty room. There are others that are meant to be listened to, picked apart and appreciated. Juno?s latest is meant to be experienced.

Though a single attentive listen may help to get a start on unraveling some of the depths of A Future Lived in Past Tense, it?s going to take a lot more time and more attention than a simple token spin can provide. The band?s knack for weaving long-winded songs that put a premium on creating shifting soundscapes and murky aural crevasses to explore, as well as its tightly packed songwriting style ? the band features three independently working guitars as well as a melodic bass and intricate drumming ? makes it difficult to even comprehend this record?s depth on first listen, let alone come to any sort of understanding of it.

Though the band?s intricate arrangements meld hints of the avant-garde love for progressive arrangements, it doesn?t let its highbrow ends cover up its want to kick an ass here and there and let it fly with the all-out rock. With a sound that mates the melodic barrage of guitars of later-years Husker Du to the spacious work of the most stoned Pink Floyd record, A Future Lived in Past Tense has enough layers for listeners to spend many a listen simply deciphering all its intricacies. Whether the band packs more riffs than you?re likely to hear in a guitar store on a Saturday afternoon ("Help Is on the Way") or packs minimal keyboard touches into its already full-bodied sound without sounding crowded ("A Thousand Motors Pressed Upon the Heart"), Juno takes hard-hitting post-hardcore to new levels of artistic distinction.

Juno?s artistic sensibilities also prove to be its Achilles heel, however. Though the band?s mix of arty heights and snarling guitars will appeal to hard-core record geeks with both the background and the patience to unravel all the layers on this album, getting through all 70 minutes of A Future Lived in Past Tense can be a daunting task for all but the most passionate music lover. The staggering depth, not to mention length, makes this album a tough one to take in all at once, and for anyone without a keen sense for the undercurrents that tie this record together, Juno?s songs won?t connect.