I was already a fan of the angular and noisy Truman's Water, Glen Galloway's former band, when he launched Soul-Junk. The new group was conceived after Galloway had a tour van conversion to Christianity. My friend, who was not a believer, but was a fan of Shrimper Records, made me a mix tape with Soul-Junk's "I Turned My Back On You." I listened to the mix tape while I was exploring a return to Christianity. The lyrics spoke to me about my own wandering away from faith and subsequently finding my way back.
Though many of Soul-Junk's songs take their lyrics directly from the Bible, "I Turned My Back On You" merely riffs on biblical themes. It reminds me of the Psalms.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139: 7-10)
Soul-Junk started out as lo-fi, but began experimenting with higher fidelity sounds and completely new genres a few years after their start. By the album 1953, they were bringing in elements from genres outside of indie rock. Their rock still had some of the sharp points and strange tunings that characterized the Truman's Water canon, but mixed with stuttering beats and hip-hop vocals for a strange and satisfying concoction. 1953 album opener "Junca De Sol Andromeda" is perhaps the best example of this marriage of styles. It's energetic, reverent and even explosive, characteristics that mark some of Soul-Junk's best work.
