Guilt Show
The Get Up Kids
Vargrant Records
While The Get Up Kids has earned a decent reputation
within the pop-punk/emo world, the band has done
nothing musically to solidify this reputation. The
band’s 2004 release, Guilt Show, is rather
sad to listen to. Simple lyrics combined with unimpressive
instrumentations make for a disappointing listening
session.
Perhaps the most successful element of the album
is the fact that it does reveal the changes that
the band made during production. However, the change
is mostly for the worst. The tunes release a bit
too much sugar, making for a cheery, bubble-gum effect
that is not usually desired when listening to punk.
However, no matter how
dull, Guilt Show is not altogether painful. The songs
are catchy and some of them deserve a second chance.
The disc as a whole is good for casual listening,
but the 13 songs on the record are not good enough
to maintain listener interest all the way through.
–AT
Get Born
Jet
Elektra/Warner Records
Coming straight out of Melbourne, Australia, the
four members of Jet have invaded the United States
with a killer record that is capable of appealing
to both old and young generations. Get Born immediately
captures listeners and transports them back to the ’60s
and ’70s.
The album features 13 songs that satisfy every possible
musical craving one can have. Faster songs such as “Last
Chance” and “Cold Hard Bitch” are
fun to move along with and are enough to cause the
dreaded bobbing of the head, while slower ballads
such as “Look What You’ve Done” and “Move
On” not only reveal the beauty of lead vocalist/guitarist
Nic Cester’s voice, but also cause the listener
to pause and allow a moment of silence to give the
band the respect that it deserves.
Through the release of Get Born, Jet proves its talent
is nothing short of amazing. What’s more shocking
is that the young foursome perfectly captures the
essence of the kind of raw rock and roll that was
born more than 30 years ago with bands such as The
Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Though Jet’s
music carries elements of the past in its sound,
the band is modern enough to produce music that will
be embraced by younger music fans who are longing
to experience the same ecstasy of rock and roll that
their parents experienced.
–AT
