Two bands emerged from the ashes of what was once called Cap’ n Jazz. Those bands were the Promise Ring and Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc originally was Jeremy Boyle, Tim Kinsella and Todd Mattei. If you are familiar with both Cap’ n Jazz and Joan of Arc, you know that Tim Kinsella wanted to go a different route with his music style from one to the other.

Being familiar with Joan of Arc’s “Live in Chicago, 1999” album, I would say that it differs greatly compared to the Cap’ n Jazz discography. Kinsella rid his music of the boundaries and structures that confined him in punk. This new stylings included experimental elements like tape loops and electronics.

Kinsella took a break from music briefly before founding The Owls, which is considered the second coming of Cap’ n Jazz. Kinsella meanwhile, who is constantly writing, had a handful of tracks ready for another album in the Joan of Arc style. With the help of his brother Mike and friends from Cap’ n Jazz, Tim Kinsella returns with “So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness”

The first three tracks crawl through the soul at a snail’s pace. They are not the same experimental electronic style that fans of “Live in Chicago, 1999” might expect. With very mellow sounding songs, they seem more like the Owls songs or tamer Cap’ n Jazz.

The second track, “The Infinite Blessed You” with the coronet sounds more like a jazz song than anything else.

Track four, “Olivia Lost,” is a piano, bass and drums song that sounds like a bad Billy Joel song. (I should note that I do like Billy Joel.)

“Mr. Participation Billy” sounds more like a song that you would hear while on a merry-go-round in Paris. If you close your eyes you can actually visualize yourself going up and down on that merry-go-round. Another piano and organ song that left me yawning more than anything else.

The album was totally the opposite of what I remember of Joan of Arc, and I liked the old Joan of Arc. This album didn’t have the old familiar electronic loops that made me fall in love with this band. Instead, this album left a sour taste in my mouth.

This album definitely didn’t do anything for me musically and has left me a lower respect for Joan of Arc because I don’t like know whether they progressed or regressed..