Garage Sale Vinyl: Jule Vera
Friendly Enemies / Pure Noise Records / June 2015
by Christopher Long
POOF! A full decade has whizzed by, seemingly in a flash. It was ten years ago this month, when, at age 52, I found myself once again attending the then-iconic annual Vans Warped Tour for the first time since I was in my 30s. A family-friendly collaborative endeavor between me and my then-16-year-old niece, the primary objective was simply to see our favorite then-current band, Icon for Hire. But, with an endless daily cavalcade of combos converging on multiple outdoor stages, I’d gone to the Orlando show with the expectation of also discovering a bounty of other new bands.
And there I was, navigating from stage to stage, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the sweat-soaked, sun-scorched summer carnival with a meager-looking corn dog in one hand and a monster-sized lemonade in the other. Suddenly, I heard a particular sound piercing the chaotic clatter of a dozen bands playing simultaneously throughout the festival grounds. Hey, wait a second! I know what THAT is! THAT’S a ROCK band! So, I followed the power chords and melodic voices, and in short order, I’d located the source.
Somehow wedged in among a slew of hard-core, metal-core, and garage-core crusaders, Jule Vera was the sunny “square peg” of Warped Tour 2015. Relegated to less prominent side stage status, the fresh-faced Alabama-based brigade was touring in support of their just-released debut record, Friendly Enemies, a convincing collection of contagious, high-energy, guitar-driven pop-rock.
Clocking in at approximately 27 minutes, Friendly Enemies has been classified by many as an EP. However, to an old timer who still rolls on “Diamond Dave”-era “Van Halen Savings Time,” eight tracks of any length constitutes a full-length LP. And what a sweet set it was. And still is.
Produced by former After Edmund frontman, Mitch Parks, Friendly Enemies oozed magical melodies glossing powerful poetry, combined with enough heavy hooks and riveting riffs to sink a mid-sized petroleum tanker. Appealing to my insatiable appetite for all things crunchy and punchy, snappy and happy, the record easily became my personal pick as THE best of 2015.
If the intoxicating presence and angelic voice of Ansley Newman doesn’t consume you posthaste, you probably need to call an EMT, ‘cuz you might be flat-lining. “Chemical Machine” was an alluring opener, a Fiona Apple-flavored standout in which Newman mesmerized as she confessed seductively, “This love is radioactive. So much so, it’ll keep us distracted. Feels like a chemical machine inside, burning for you and me.”
“Light the Night” and “One Little String” were simply irresistible sing-alongs — infectious earworms with Buick-sized choruses. And mad props are owed to songwriting collaborators Mitch Parks and Dustin Burnett for helping to make these two golden kernels pop to perfection, in a jiffy. Bravo!
Delicate and elegant, “Die Trying” and “Scarlet Letter” both were soaring, piano-driven epics. In the latter, Newman proclaimed, “Save your roses and all your sweet talk. Boy, you must think you’re so clever. But poisonous words give you away, like wearing a scarlet letter.” Epic, indeed.
Reinforced by Jake Roland’s walls of gutsy guitar work, the heart-stopping title track was heavy, a tad eerie, and proved that a band can have hooks without compromising cred. A playfully urgent “Dear John” letter, “You Can’t Mess This Up” shined as one of the most compelling highlights and brought the record to a stunning crescendo.
Now, I ain’t even gonna try to lie. I’m totally cheating with this installment. But Friendly Enemies remains such a personally important record, and its 10th anniversary is such a milestone, that I believe the record is worthy of me taking a few liberties with this column’s typical narrative. The record did NOT “find” me on the cheap at a neighborhood garage sale or local thrift joint. I’d first bought Friendly Enemies on CD from the Jule Vera merch tent immediately following the band’s 2015 Orlando Warped Tour set. I knew that the record WAS released on vinyl, but I never could find a copy. Recently, my savvy Florida dealer finally located one for me: a mint-condition copy on burgundy vinyl, for less than $20. After my decades-long pursuit, I reasoned that $20 was a bargain. And it was.
Also, in celebration of its Diamond Anniversary, I’ll be taking a deeper dive into Friendly Enemies on an upcoming installment of the Garage Sale Vinyl Podcast. An added layer of icing on the cake, co-founding Jule Vera guitarist and songwriter Jake Roland will be an actual guest on that episode, offering his first-hand, insider Friendly Enemies insights. STOKED!
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Friendly Enemies Track Listing
SIDE ONE
1. 1896 (Jule Vera, M. Parks) – 1:12
2. Chemical Machine (Jule Vera, M. Parks) – 3:34
3. Light the Night (Jule Vera, D. Burnett) – 3:51
4. One Little String (Jule Vera, M. Parks) – 2:47
SIDE TWO
1. Die Trying (Jule Vera, D. Burnett) – 3:56
2. Scarlet Letter (Jule Vera, M. Parks) – 3:15
3. Friendly Enemies (Jule Vera, M. Parks) – 4:01
4. You Can’t Mess This Up (Jule Vera, M. Parks) – 4:01
