The third solo album from the artist formerly known as Joe Algeri.
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Review #18 extract from the Bill Kopp's Music Blog:
blog.musoscribe.com?p=3525

Faux Pas is a lovely collection of jangly, wheezy-organ, hooky rock pop of the first order. The opening track, “I Play All the Instruments” tells you all you need to know about The JAC, and does so in grinning, catchy style. Algeri has a number of stylistic tricks – bits of Italian lyrics, backward guitar and chiming Ricks – up his sleeve. As, too, is a bonus disc of covers that show the man’s peerless taste.

- Bill Kopp
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Review #17 extract from the 100% Rock Magazine:
magazine.100percentrock.com/reviews/cd-reviews/201211/5612

The first thing you’ll note about “Faux Pas” is that it is gloriously eclectic, with Algeri revelling in the freedom to “for the first time in [his] life… record exactly what [he] wanted, the way [he] wanted”. Beatles jiggery pokery stands next to surf guitars and psych-outs and folky melodies, all accompanied by Algeri’s peculiarly quirky sense of humour, and supreme musicality.

Humour is a strong point on “Faux Pas” – I Play All The Instruments is a hilarious mission statement for making the album, from recording in pyjamas to being unable to tour due to the absence of an actual band; I Just Want To Be Weird and I’m A Glass Of Orange Juice are as self-explanatory as they can be; and Time Machine and Future Computers are as irresistibly catchy as they are weird.

There’s elements of all that has come before for Algeri in “Faux Pas”, as well as being very much rooted in his self in the now, and looking through an open door towards his future – perhaps transcendentally realising that he can do anything now that he has successfully challenged himself to do this.

Topping the cake with an ecstasy-laced cherry is the CD bonus disc “Drugs, trucks & Jesus”, featuring ten cover versions recorded alone or with friends and bands the likes of Maria Sokratis (a psychedelic and twisted take on Johnny Cash’s Jackson), Algeri’s band The Britannicas (Lucio Battisti’s Balla Linda), Liam Coffey (The Kinks’ Tired Of Waiting), Algeri’s other band Jack & The Beanstalk (When You Find Out) and more. Rollicking good fun, but don’t let it distract you from “Faux Pas”! (7/10)

- Shane Pinnegar
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Review #16 extract from the Pure Pop blog:
purepoppub.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/review-jac-faux-pas.html

The analogies do not necessarily flow easily here. Oh, you can pick up a hint of Ram era Paul McCartney here or Smiley Smile era Beach Boys there, but the overall effect is something all together different. For example, a track like the rocking "Persistent Man" probably owes more to the early 2000's Tim Finn albums than anything else, which says something about the kind of weirdness (and good taste) we are dealing with here.

"Time Machine" takes a trip back to the 60's and invites us along to have a blast in the past....but, hey, if you already have a time machine why not use it to go forward in time as well? Well, that is what the next track, "Future Computers" in fact does. (And who wouldn't want to have a computer that wouldn't become obsolete in the time it takes to drive from the store to one's home?)

This isn't the only point on the record where Algeri has fun with the conventions of record making. The opening track cheerfully gives us the pluses and minuses for someone who says "I Play All The Instruments". The track "I'm A Glass of Orange Juice" is every bit as odd as its sounds...well, actually its a bit odder as it ends with an unexpected invocation to Jesus Christ. I'll admit I didn't see that coming. Oh, and at any given moment Joe can decide to sing in a different language. It's just the way he rolls.

- Rich Horton
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Review #15 from Under The Tangerine Tree blog:
underthetangerinetree.blogspot.it

The Jac è il nuovo progetto di Joe Algeri, giusto per mettere le cose in chiaro. Noto agli appassionati per la sua notevole storia personale, spesa tra Jack and the Beanstalk e, recentemente, Britannicas, il buon Joe raccoglie pezzetti di idee dimenticate qua e là nel corso degli anni e si concede Faux Pas, diario privato in musica dove l’autore decritta sentimenti fino ad ora rintracciabili solo in cameretta. I Play All The Instruments scandisce a chiare lettere i connotati personalissimi del disco e di liriche che ritagliano la vita del cantautore da home studio; uno che pubblica le canzoni su internet, a decine, sperando di tirar fuori la hit del secolo. Poi ci sono le manie private, come Ray Davis, indiscusso eroe personale di Joe, e le sbilenche strutture kinksiane si palesano nelle riuscite Romano The Dog e di Truly Julie and Terry. Future Computers e Julie Got Angry rasentano sonorità punky-pop, mentre se Time Machine paga chiari tributi al garage modalità Faces, la misteriosa I’m A Glass Of Orange Juice strizza l’occhio a Jeff, quello di Mr. Blue Sky. Faux Pas? Nient’affatto. Solo una gradevole passeggiata tra le cose private di Joe Algeri. Uno che, tra parentesi, sa come si mette insieme un ritornello.

- Emmanuel Marian
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Review #14 extract from One Chord To Another - A Finnish Pop Site:
www.onechord.net/2012/10/21/the-jac-faux-pas/

Joe Algeri has also delivered great pop tracks with Jack & The Beanstalk and The Britannicas, but now it’s time for another solo adventure. Joe Algeri creating an album in his home studio without any kind of supervision certainly could lead to a catastprophe, but he is able to pull it off rather wonderfully. It’s not too all-over-the-place even though Faux Pas is a playful pop album where anything can happen. Actually things like 60′s pop, garage rock, punk pop, psych pop weirdness and all-around goofyness fit quite well under the same roof. The JAC also showcases a slightly grittier version of Joe Algeri, but it won’t be enough to banish the pop fans from his backyard. We can tolerate a bit of rock’n'roll, because Joe still has that great melodic sense.

- Vesa Lautamaki
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Review #13 extract from i94bar.com:
i94bar.com/reviews/the-jac.php

Joe wrote and played everything on "Faux Pas", which is brimful of off-centre pop smarts and tongue-in-cheek whimsy. Is it self-indulgent to lock yourself inside and commit musical thoughts to hard drive with no-one else involved? Not at all - especially when they're good.

More than musings and sketches (which is what demo's would be), "Faux Pas" is fully-realised songs. Joe's a big fan of Ray Davies and his vignettes - and it shows in songs like "Truly Julie & Terry" and "Romano The Dog". He doesn't owe us a thing of course but if only Ray was writing 'em like this today.

"I Play All The Instruments" is the oh-la-la lead-off and broadly indicative of what follows. It's all about self-penning songs and posting them on the Interwebs in the hope that they'll be hits. It worked for the Arctic Monkeys, didn't it? This stuff sure leaves them for dead.

There are clever arrangements at work - check the "Low" stylings of the title track (that one's straight out of Hansa Studios) and the neat '60s throwback garage pop of "Time Machine." There are enough twists and turns in the driving "Julie Got Angry" to throw the Hounds of Hades off the scent and the song's delivered with a massive rush of energy.

"I Refuse" is a big guitar number with chorus to match with a cheesy synth line thrown in at the end for good measure. "Future Computers" turns technology on its head and throws in a dash of "A Day In The Life" crossed with Brian Wilson, folk music and whimsical trippiness.

There's a danger with so much stylistic hopping that you'll leave the listener confused and "Faux Pas" sometimes treads close to the edge. In the end, however, "Faux Pas" is all the more compelling for that. This is a bunch of very good three-minute pop songs just begging to be played. Won't you indulge them?

- The Barman
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Review #12 from VOIX DE GARAGE blog & Abus Dangereux Magazine (vol 125):
voixdegaragegrenoble.blogspot.com.au

Voici le nouveau projet de Joe Algeri (Jack & the Beanstalk, The Britanicas). Les fans de Power Pop suivent la carrière escarpée de ce brillant auteur, compositeur qui a déjà publié dans les 90’s deux albums solo très beaux et quasi acoustiques. Avec The JAC il joue seul de tous les instruments (comme il le raconte dans la 1ère chanson). Et on se retrouve avec un album de Pop (power) qui doit pas mal aux Kinks & Beatles, avec une palanquée de Perfect Pop Songs qui sont juste comme elles devraient toujours l’être : fraîches & excitantes !
Du bel ouvrage comme toujours avec Mr Algeri. Cet album est tellement arrangé et dynamique que pas une seconde on ne réalise qu’il est entièrement l’oeuvre d’un seul homme.
Et comme un bonheur ne vient jamais seul, vous aurez droit en plus à une 2ème CD avec 10 covers (et une paire de guests) : Real Kids, Slim Dusty, Simon & Garfunkel, The Kinks, Lucio Battisti, The Byrds, The Nerves, Dave Dudley
LE PIED ! Un album plein, ambitieux, brillant et drôle.

- Bertrand Tappaz
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Review #11 from Powerpopaholic:
www.powerpopaholic.com/2012/09/tsar-joe-alegari.html

Okay, you gotta love Joe Algeri (Brittanicas, Jack & The Beanstalk) letting loose his inner psyche to the fans with a “I Play All The Instruments.” It makes a pretty good case for solo musicians “stuck at home, with too much time on your hands.” Joe tells us “I Just Want to be Weird” and to prove it he does offbeat pop like “I’m A Glass Of Orange Juice.” Joe isn’t as obtuse as Robert Pollard, and his rants on “Persistent Man” and “I Refuse” have punk styled DIY charm.

Several songs have a 60′s-fueled psyche pop flavor, but with a modern cynicism reminding me of The Small Faces “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” or Ray Davies on “Romano The Dog.” It includes an additional disc of 10 covers, so you can’t say The JAC doesn’t deliver.
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Review #10 from No Depression:
www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/lee-s-listening-stack-a-baker-s-dozen-of-early-september-s-best?xg_source=activity

Great music comes from near and far, and so its no surprise that the western realms of Australia have produced a creative, consistent artist like Joe Algeri. Like his fellow countrymen Angus Stone and Michael Carpenter, Algeri boasts an impressive catalogue and a knack for stringing together hooks in such a way as to grab instant attention. His latest effort, billed as The JAC, finds him offering up more of the same, eleven examples of pure pop perfection, Opening track “Play All the Instruments” says it all,with Algeri unabashedly giving himself credit for being a solo studio operator. Likewise, the tune that follows, “I Just Want To Be Weird” nods towards Algeri’s off the cuff attitude and unabashed bravado. Mostly though, he follows his melodic instincts, confining the off-kilter moments to the bonus set of covers, where he treats Johnny and Johnny Cash’s “Jackson” like a techno-tempered squeak. So if “I’m Just a Glass of Orange Juice” comes across as an unlikely statement of purpose, don’t be dissuaded. This Aussie is far more fulfilling.

- Lee Zimmerman
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Review #9 extract from X-Press Magazine (Perth):
issuu.com/xpressmag/docs/xp1333

Playing all the instruments on Faux Pas, Algeri took his time to challenge not only himself but (hopefully) also his steady worldwide fan base. There are no death metal rumbles or driving dance floor beats, but Algeri has mixed things up in ways that weren't even hinted on previous records. Sure there was always the predisposition that he would be the kind of character to drag the sandpit and Fireman's hats into the studio not to resurface for years, but few thought that it would actually happen.

Algeri maintains his quirky sense of humour even when moving away from his tried and true boys vs girl topic. This time out he ponders getting a jump on technology on Future Computers, wax's lyrical about town planning on Romano The Dog and becomes throwaway and nonsensical during I'm A Glass Of Orange Juice.

4.5 / 5 stars

- Chris Havercroft
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Review #8 from babysue:
www.babysue.com/2012-Sept-LMNOP-Reviews.html#anchor123890

We instantly liked the sound of the home recorded tracks on this Australian double CD...but when we read the press release, well...we were completely and totally won over. The Jac is the solo project created by Joe Algeri who was previously in the band Jack & The Beanstalk and also recently worked on some collaborations with The Britannicas. After writing and recording music for many years, on this album Algeri decided to tear down the boundaries of creativity and just have fun making music. The result...eleven tracks that are playful, humorous, upbeat, and fun. These songs have the same playful quality that made the first few albums from The Young Fresh Fellows so appealing. In addition to the album itself, this package also includes a second disc of cover tunes. Nifty little package here from a man who has obviously rediscovered the joy of making music. Our favorite tracks include "I Play All The Instruments," "Persistent Man," "Romano The Dog," and "Faux Pas." Great lyrics.
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Review #7 extract from Shindig Happening! blog:
happeningmagazine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/record-review-jac.html

Eleven tracks of impure pop that always drift a little left of centre, Faux Pas kicks off with 'I Play All The Instruments' which should tell you straight away that Joe is having fun here and his mix of The Kinks, 70s British pop, new wave, Robyn Hitchcock and Todd Rundgren makes for one hell of a sweet album.

There’s backward masking, the odd tip of the hat to The Beatles, some great punk pop in 'Julie Got Angry' and 'Persistent Man', the pseudo silliness of 'I'’m A Glass Of Orange Juice' and then there’s 'Romano The Dog' which, despite its strong English 70s pop feel, reminded me of US band The Big Enjoyers (who also coincidentally owe more than a nod to the world of Rundgren and Utopia). Title track 'Faux Pas' finishes the album off in a swirl of keyboards while adding some crunch to the poptones, really digging in and maybe just hinting at a darker side to Joe.

For this album though The JAC is all snap, crackle and pop and a worthy addition to the Perth pantheon. Whatever it is in the water there, it’s responsible for some great sounds.

- Kami McInne
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Review #6 extract from the Icecream Man 1967 blog:
icecreamman1967.blogspot.se/2012/08/the-jac-faux-pas-out-now.html

"Faux Pas" is a wonderful blend of Power Pop, New Wave, 60's and a dash of punk, music with no boundaries, plenty of humour and a little weirdness too... many people will consider "Faux Pas" to be, a perfect album.

- Rick N. Baker
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Review #5 extract from the Times (Singapore)
www.todayonline.com/CultureAndLifestyle/Cdreviews/EDC120824-0000016/Faux-Pas-l-The-Jac-Rating--3/5-stars

It's obvious that Faux Pas is very much a labour of love, a one-man project into which Algeri has poured his immense love of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, The Replacements and the like. The result is a raw, raucous sound that never sacrifices the melodic quotient at any time. Whatever your musical preferences, it's hard not to admire the gung-ho spirit that drives independent artists like Algeri as the singer-songwriter himself expresses on the angst-ridden Persistent Man and I Refuse. Fans will be delighted to know that Faux Pas comes with a bonus disc - Drugs Trucks & Jesus - where Algeri pays tribute to his rock inspirations with covers of Tired Of Waiting and Sadly Beautiful being particularly poignant.

- Kevin Mathews
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Review #4 extract from the Absolute Powerpop blog:
absolutepowerpop.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/midweek-musings.html

Faux Pas is a pop record through and through, full of the various styles Algeri has shown throughout his career, ranging from the ramshackle 60s pop of opening track (and mission statement) "Play All the Instruments" to the straight-ahead power pop (if not straight-ahead lyrics) of "I Just Want to Be Weird" to the almost punk-pop of "Julie Got Angry". There's plenty of good ol' goofy weirdness here with fun tracks like "I'm a Glass of Orange Juice" and the Ray Davies-esque "Romano the Dog". And just to make the whole experience extra fun, Algeri includes a bonus disc of 10 covers titled Drugs, Trucks & Jesus.

- Steve Ferra
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Review #3 extract from the Kick Out The Jams blog:
oscarkotj.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/the-jac-faux-pas-egomaniac-music-cd.html

Sin duda uno de los mejores temas de los 11 que completan este disco, la deuda de las guitarras a Mc Guinn de “I just want tyo be weird” se meten bajo la piel, la mezcla natural entre los Kinks y los Stems se llama “I’m a glass of orange juice”. En esa línea se mueven el resto de las canciones de este Faux Pas, guitarras de aserradero en ese “Persistent man”, la grandiosa “I refuse” power pop con el toque new wave que le otorga el órgano. El particular homenaje a los sonidos de garage se titula “Time Machine” en donde Joe le pega al fuzz en tributos a bandas como Chesterfield Kings, Stems o Miracle Workers. Los constantes cambios de registros de ese “Future Computers” hacen que los tres minutos de la canción sean como un viaje por los diferentes sonidos del tema, las guitarras grabadas al revés es uno de los recursos que Joe utiliza a lo largo de este disco y vuelve a hacer acto de presencia en “Romano the Dog” en donde queda claro que las horas de estudio han sido un divertimento para este músico. Además toda referencia, por superficial que sea, a los hermanos Davies es bienvenida en este blog y en esta ocasión lleva como título “Truli Julie & Terry”.

- Oscar Garcia
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Review #2 extract from the Broken Hearted Toy blog:
brokenheartedtoy.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/cd-review-jac-faux-pas.html

He pokes fun at this one-man-band approach with “I Play All The Instruments,” passing off his versatility as a manifestation of boredom and an inflated ego. Algeri has a penchant for eccentric humor, particularly on “I Just Want To Be Weird” and “Romano The Dog.” The Paul McCartney like silliness of “I’m A Glass Of Orange Juice” might be spiked with satire, but it’s not readily detected.

Algeri is at his best on the more straight forward power pop of “I Refuse” and the raw, garage rock of “Persistent Man.” “Julie Got Angry” offers the rapid-fire fun of The Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died” while the sci-fi romp, “Time Machine,” is fueled by farsifa organ. “Future Computers” is another highlight, sporting clever lyrics and some intriguing tempo changes. All in all, Algeri would be justified in giving himself a pat on the back for Faux Pas.

- Terrence Flamm
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Review #1 extract from SomethingElse Reviews :
somethingelsereviews.com/2012/08/05/the-jac-faux-pas-2012/

Joe really does have his own way of doing things, and accomplishes his mission time after time. Fired by unsinkable energy and a rather cheeky attitude, Faux Pas opens the gates with “I Play All The Instruments,” which humorously tells the tale of posting music online and hoping for a hit single. Speaking of cyberspace, there’s the equally catchy and funny “Future Computers,” while “I Just Want To Be Weird” and “I’m A Glass Of Orange Juice” comfortably combine silly verse with strong arrangements and pleasantly plump melodies.

Subsequent star tracks on the record involve the nagging “Persistent Man,” the super catchy “Time Machine” and “Truly Julie & Terry,” which pays shameless homage to Joe’s Kinks fixation. Standard power pop tactics, stitched of crunchy chords and juicy and jaunty rhythms, topped by a few rough edges that frequently revisit the restless reflexes of the Clash and the Replacements, prompt Faux Pas to be the great album that it is.

- Beverly Paterson