June 25, 2005 | Posted by David B. at 11:46 AM

We won't look back

doe, a deerI wasn't sure what to expect from John Doe's recent solo album Forever Hasn't Happened Yet. "That's not the best album title I've ever heard", I thought to myself, which was followed quickly by, "Why is a former punk hero on the not-so-punk label Yep Roc?"
Both concerns, as it turns out, are inconsequential. The title isn't great but the record itself is.

Doe, former frontman of Los Angeles punk band X, has released a string of solo albums that aren't exactly "punk" in the strict sense of the word, but Forever Hasn't Happened Yet has such a devil-may-care attitude that it's clear Doe still has it in him.

John Doe - Mama Don't

Doe enlisted the great Neko Case to help out on one song, and Doe's love of Case's Blacklisted record is apparent: like that (amazing!) disc, Forever is heavy on moody reverb, doused in somber imagery and full of unexpected bursts of energy.
The album also features Grant Lee Phillips (Grant Lee Buffalo) and Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses).

You can buy Forever Hasn't Happened Yet directly from Yep Roc here.

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