I first heard J Church around the time of Prophylaxis and Quetzalcoatl; I kept up with the band for several albums and then we parted ways because the songs didn’t seem to mean as much to me anymore. They were catchy but I just lost my appreciation for the band somewhere along the way. As far as Palestine goes, it reminds me of what could have happened if Bob Mould had reverted to music reminiscent New Day Rising or Flip Your Wig for his first solo effort. The songs have hooks and they’re relatively catchy, but the effort just seems like more of the same. If you’re a J Church fan, you will likely already own this. If you aren’t, there’s no reason to start here (try The Precession of Simulacra as a different entry point).
–scott (Honey Bear)