Josh Funk

It’s refreshing to see Chico singer/songwriter Josh Funk working so hard on his own behalf, making a strong effort (with promo, a pro Web site, quality recording, etc.) to promote his new CD, A Jukebox Envy. Most young musicians just sit and wait to be “discovered” and don’t have the guts to put themselves out there to face more than their friends’ analysis of the music. With that said, Jukebox Envy is by-the-numbers emo. The music is lush and bright (Funk plays everything but drums), with quiet-to-loud rockers balanced out by pretty acoustic guitar and piano ballads, all of which are amazingly well recorded and arranged. The problem is the vocal delivery. A very affected singing style rears its weeping head on the opener, “Don’t Turn Off the Light,” and Funk’s otherwise strong voice is strangled as he inexplicably drags certain words down with a New Found Glory-ish whining-inflection. It all feels like a talented guy trying to make music he thinks will be successful by copying the currently popular emo blueprint. If Funk relaxed and let his own voice come to the fore, this could be something special.