Labels: Jade Tree Records
Review by: Russell Opie
Ahhhhh yes the new Jets record. What high hopes I had. Just what exactly did this album have to live up to – Orange Rhyming Dictionary – thats what. And it was a tall order. Just a bit too tall. Maybe thats why they changed direction a little bit. But in fact, once I had come to terms with the radical departure from post-punk to indie meets emo rock, I was better able to cope with this record. I think I was expecting too much. But now I realise that it wasn’t meant to better Orange Rhyming Dictionary by just being “better” – it was supposed to be different by design. And I’m really glad that I can now say I like this album. Life would have sucked if I no longer “got” JTB.
However, a couple of the songs are a bit too cheesy for my liking – “You’re having the time of my life” is one such song. But its really not that bad at all. A couple of the songs are class. One track like this is “Little Light” which is a beautiful song. The bouncy riffing in the middle needs to be heard to be believed. I love this song. One thing I’ve also noticed is that the lyrics are a little simpler and not so complex or abstract as their first album. However if you look hard enough, you’ll still find some strange non-sensical lines.
One song that really touched me was “One Summer Last Fall”. Really emotional. Of course Blake is a great vocalist and they’re perfect on this track. Musically, the album is a lot more laid back than the first, and this song is no exception. Make sure you check out “Your x-rays have just come back from the lab and we think we know what your problem is” because its one of my favourite Jets To Brazil songs. Not least because of the title! But mostly for the lyrics and musically this is spot on. It just sounds so damn great.
The song “Orange Rhyming Dictionary” is totally amazing. A really emotional, acoustic sounding song, which is really quite touching indeed. “Mid-day Anonymous” takes the prize for bizarre lyrics – “deep in the flat with the technicolor cat, and hey my varicose guilt!” – and there are plenty more besides. Awesome song too. “In the summer’s when you really know” is also amazing. Its up there in the same league as “Sweet Avenue” and that means you know its going to be amazing.
So basically, in the two weeks since buying this album, I have learned to love it. Don’t expect it to be the same as the debut, but its just as good, only in a different way and once you’ve adapted to the new approach, you won’t be disappointed at all. Just don’t give up on it too soon. I almost made that mistake. I’m glad I didn’t, because now I know just how great this record is. And you know what – “Milk and Apples” is on this album. If you saw the band live, then this is your reason to go buy this record. You know what I’m talking about.