Archive Review: Bill Janovitz & Crown Victoria's Fireworks On TV! (2004)

Alt-rock veteran Bill Janovitz – late of the Boston band Buffalo Tom – originally formed Crown Victoria as a vehicle for his solo efforts. Recording during the downtime from his critically-acclaimed major label band, Janovitz’s solo work eventually eclipsed the band’s vision and, as things are wont to do in rock ‘n’ roll, Crown Victoria eventually became a full-time pursuit. Fireworks On TV! is the band’s third album, a mature and fully-realized group effort, the tight chemistry between Janovitz and his bandmates showcased on tunes like “Almost Beating” and the eclectic “One Two Three.”

Janovitz’s musical milieu definitely falls into the folk-rock vein, with a little alt-country twang and alt-rock guitar pyrotechnics thrown in to spice things up a bit. An engaging songwriter of no little folk influence, Janovitz has an eye for the minutiae of daily life and the complexities of human relationships. As frontman for Crown Victoria, however, Janovitz nevertheless enjoys the crashing of cymbals, chiming guitars and the Fort Apache studio approximation of Phil Spector’s “wall of sound.” Fireworks On TV! is a smart, hard-rocking and entertaining effort, Janovitz and Crown Victoria ready for prime-time and a higher profile in indie-rock circles. (Q Division Records, 2004)

Review originally published by Jersey Beat zine...