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Jesu, "Silver"
As Jesu, Justin Broderick along with Diarmuid Dalton have teetered somewhere between metal, pop, thrash, and shoegaze. Last year's self-titled album ranks amongst my favorites of 2005, perhaps because at points it makes me watery-eyed for the early 1990s days of Bowery Electric, Slowdive, Curve, and Loop. Silver is sort of a stopgap, a four song extended play single with songs that aren't bad, but just not as thematically connected as the eponyous LP.
Their combination of elements sound fantastic together: simply played yet loud guitars and aggressively struck drums slowly march through gorgeous melodies, paired with the echoing, unobtrusive, and polite vocals that makes Jesu not just tolerable, but enjoyable. (I know my friend Andrew will have a word with me about this one, but I find Jesu far more enjoyable than any Godflesh I've ever heard!) The uttmost attention to sound detail is evident in every second of every song I've heard from them (still looking for that first EP, by the way). What is hard to describe, however, is their knack for writing great tunes. Jesu uses original and marginally unpredictable melodies but Justin Broderick constructs them well enough to make listening fun. Indeed, it's no impossibility: any band can theoretically combine these elements but if you don't write great tunes, then you're nothing.
The opening track "Silver" is probably the closest thing Jesu will get to a pop tune, and while I like it, I'm frightened as how close it comes to a sports theme. Its anthemic qualities rank on par with the best songs from last year's album. A different approach is tried with the second song, "Star," as a hurried, thrashy rhythm launches the piece but soon the signature sound overcomes it and nearly swallows up that beat with guitars and vocals going half the speed. "Wolves," once again, tries something new, as melody provided by something that sounds like a distorted synth takes the instrumental lead. While it doesn't sound out of place, tried at different volumes it becomes clear how Jesu's music is not experienced properly when played quiet. The last song, "Dead Eyes" also charts new territory for the duo, opening with some backwards strung beauty accompanying a fat low-end synth and vocals strung through a vocoder. Even though elements shift past the mid-point, shifting the focus from the heavy foundation to more jagged guitar playing, the song is still as sexy as it began. When it ends I'm immediately wanting more, but that's actually a good thing.
Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, this EP is more than enough to wet my appetite for the next mega album. With any luck the duo will finally play on this side of the pond, as I'm eager to see Jesu live, to feel the low rumbles vibrating my rib cage, my armhairs standing on edge, and the warm feeling of happiness this music gives me.
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