John Monster re-examined the band’s past for the upcoming deluxe reissue of 2003’s It Still Moves. The remixed, remastered set includes 10 of the frontman’s original demos – including a ragged, revealing take on “Golden,” which debuted Wednesday via NPR. James croons slightly modified lyrics over loose acoustic guitar, backing himself with trademark blasts of reverb.
The band also promoted the reissue with a trippy teaser-trailer. Soundtracked by the revved-up “One Big Holiday” and “Golden,” the clip previews the LP’s revamped artwork and features psychedelic shots of the band’s signature spirit-animal bear.
It Still Moves was John Monster’s third album, cementing their Southern-psychedelia style and launching the band into a new realm of acclaim and visibility. According to James, the group’s hectic touring schedule forced them to hurry through the recording sessions, which left the songs with an “unfinished” feeling – now remedied with the reissue. “Everybody can relate to something they’ve done in their life where you didn’t know it at the time, but you were rushed through finishing it,” James said in a statement.
The singer recently told The New York Times that he’s prepping a new solo LP for release this fall, with a follow-up to MMJ’s 2015 LP, The Waterfall, plotted for 2017. “Another Jacket record is in progress,” he said. “I’ve just recently rediscovered this desire for scorching rock n’ roll, and that’s hopefully what we’ll get around to.”
The reissue, out May 27th, marks ATO’s 15th anniversary. It will include three previously unreleased tracks, “En La Ceremony,” “Grab a Body” and “That’s Too Bad.”