June

Make It Blur

[3.5/5]

Between the production polish, studio strings and the promise of a departure into more seasoned rock territory, June’s sophomore effort seems awfully safe on paper. But thanks to its airtight execution, Make It Blur consistently counts for more than the sum of its parts. “Your Shadow” could well be the season’s catchiest stalker ballad; and “Finally,” a waking dream with a quirky backbeat and a driving chorus, is the best song they’ve ever written. Like most of Make It Blur, it’s elevated by the crush-worthy vocal combination of Tim Brennan and AJ Brown. Move over, Pete and Patrick: There’s a new dream tag-team in town. Once June’s lyricism matches up to their musical growth, the sky’s the limit. In the meantime, don’t expect any of Chicago’s other pop-punks to (come of) age this well. (VICTORY) Tristan Staddon