In an era in which technology, computerization, mobile media and its associated artifice pervades all forms of creativity, it s refreshing to remember that sometimes an excellent album can still be comprised of the most simplistic and honest elements: guitar strings, drumsticks, tube amplifiers, crash cymbals, and songs crafted by inspiration and intuition.

What Los Angeles-based power trio Jr. Juggernaut has assembled for its fourth full-length album, Another Big Explosion, emanates from a deeply emotional state, coupled with the sheer power of rimshot-splintered drumsticks, speaker cabinets pushed to their breaking point, and an exceptionally current, fresh take on the warm and fuzzy sounds of 90s style alt-rock. Were MTV’s original incarnation of “120 Minutes” still on the air, the ten songs found on Jr. Juggernaut s latest would all be contenders for Buzz Bin video status.

Most of all, Another Big Explosion unquestionably lives up to its name. From the brightly melodic and driving cuts of “Hang On” and “Lonely Boy,” to the overcast, ominous closer “Total Darkness,” everything on the album is bold and expansive, yet finely tuned for maximum guitar-drenched attack. Singer guitarist Mike Williamson had a mix of melody and noise in mind while composing the album. For this record, I landed on an alternate tuning that let me play thick power chords while the top strings continued to ring out, like a shiny chime on top of a chugging locomotive, says Williamson. This informed the entire soundscape of the album and gave us what I think is simultaneously our heaviest and prettiest album yet.

Co-produced by Williamson and Jr. Juggernaut drummer Wal Rashidi, Another Big Explosion is the first Jr. Juggernaut album to also feature bassist Noah Green (of L.A. s The Pretty Flowers). It’s also the first Jr. Juggernaut release to appear on Mindpower Records.

“We’re excited that we could connect with Mindpower for this album’s release,” says Rashidi. “The band had discussed a long list of labels, but Mindpower kept rising to the top of the list of options. I think it’s a win for both ends.”

While some artists continue to lean on the latest in technological advances to further their efforts, Jr. Juggernaut realizes that its creative output can be distilled to the basics: Marshall half-stacks set to stun, brass snares shimmying with every hit, and songs penned purely from the heart.

Track Listing:
01. Come Break My Heart
02. Hang On
03. Everything I Touch
04. Take Alone
05. Inclined
06. After Tonight
07. Million Miles
08. Lonely Boy
09. I Believe
10. Total Darkness