Listen: Jus Post Bellum – “Abe and Johnny”

Oh July

A little bit of knowledge can go a long way. Take the name of Brooklyn-based Jus Post Bellum, which translates from the Latin, “Justice After War.” That kind of rich, deeply-rooted and deeply connotative sentiment buries itself deep somewhere inside of the band’s music, specifically their forthcoming second album, Oh July. The album takes inspiration from the Civil War, but rather than take full on inspiration from this historical events like Titus Andronicus did on 2010’s The Moniter, Jus Post Bellum delve into the people and the characters that made up those days. The new single “Abe and Johnny” is a fine example, lightly painting a picture of Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth without leaning too heavily on the dramatic confrontation the two figures had. Instead the song lulls forward and forward, and soon the subject matter becomes almost irrelevant as you drift on by with the airy guitars. Have a listen to “Abe and Johnny” below, and look out for Oh July, which will be released November 12th.