CD review: Shaka Rock - Jet

BY CHRIS SCHULZ
Last updated 14:10 23/09/2009
jet
ROCK ON: Jet's new album tries too hard to be different.

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It's easy to see the similarities between the careers of Kiwi garage-rockers The Datsuns and Aussie upstarts Jet.

Both bands broke with big debut albums, but struggled to follow up their early success and are currently fighting for attention in a genre overpopulated with unoriginal bands riffing off the same blueprint.

Shaka Rock - Jet's third album and follow-up to 2006's lacklustre Shine On - isn't going to help change any of that.

While their debut Get Born was full of electrifying good tunes that saw the Melbourne band win seven Aria Music Awards in 2004, new album Shaka Rock tries too hard to be different. Way too hard.

Beat on Repeat is the worst offender, as singer Nicholas Cester does his best Johnny Rotten impression over the kind of ska-influenced rock that should have been left high and dry in the late '70s.

Elsewhere, Black Hearts (On Fire) unsuccessfully mixes skittery riffing with 80s new wave, Let Me Out desperately wants to be on an episode of Grey's Anatomy, while a group of kindergarten kids is introduced to sing the chorus for album opener K.I.A. (Killed In Action).

And it's best to forget about closing ballad She Holds a Grudge - you will as soon as you've finished listening to it.

Jet sound much better when they're keeping it simple. Single She's a Genius and the thrilling Start the Show are back-to-basics rockers that find Cester singing about those old chestnuts - sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

It's all the proof anyone needs that Jet are best at being a bare-boned rock 'n' roll band. The sooner they realise it - and stop trying to reinvent the wheel - the better. Just start the show, guys.

* What do you think of Shaka Rock? Post your comments below.

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- © Fairfax NZ News

6 comments
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PubblePuppy   #6   03:58 am Oct 17 2009

I'm 55 years old I've saw most of the Great bands from the 60's 70' 80' I could give a hoot about any band of the 90's 2000's Three cords and Yell *&#% that's what the 90's groups call music. Like someone said above, people like Jet or they hate them, they think Jet rips off the older groups .. Ready some of them, they sound like Rolling Stones.. No the Beatles.. NO ACDC.. NO Alice in chains... WE hear what we want to hear in jet's song. Jet puts Fun back into Rock and Roll.. to be Seventeen again... you can sing along.. makes you feel good... not like today's music that makes you want to shoot you parents. I for one believe in Jet and what they are doing...taken the best parts of yesterdays music, and adding it today's music

CWelly   #5   09:02 am Sep 30 2009

Hmmmm, are any new albums/follow ups from new bands good enough these days? It's kinda sad that nearly every review on stuff for c.d's gets crap. Kinda over seeing bad reviews, the only ones that get good reviews are s****y n.z bands like Kora and weird hippy music, which will not be remembered, not saying that Jet will, but gah, it's just getting old seeing every band battered and cast away. Im not the biggest fan of Jet, but its much more better than the music that teaches young girls they have to look like a prostitute to get anywhere in life, or music that teaches guys that 'tarts' are "good looking".

Tom   #4   03:19 pm Sep 25 2009

Be my girl was a rip-off of Lust for life by Iggy Pop. Look what you've done ripped off the Beatles. Cold, hard b__ sounded like a re-hash of an AC/DC tune. All their "hits" are barely even original. I've got no bad blood for Jet but they really don't have much to offer. They're a fun, good-time band that plays well live and that's about where it peaks.

Tom   #3   04:53 pm Sep 23 2009

Schulzy!? 2 stars! Oh cruel world, how sad you make me feel...Granted there a few tracks on this album (She Holds a Grudge being one of them) that are diabolically awful, Goodbye Hollywood and Walk are tracks which show that JET have both matured as songwriters and continued their leather jacket wearing, unshaven, indulgent lifestyle at the same time. Give the album another crack, but remove She Holds a Grudge, Let Me Out, and La Di Da and you'll have a totally different 3rd album on your hands.

Tom   #2   04:03 pm Sep 23 2009

Not sure that Ska-influenced should have been left high and dry in the seventies...What about Sublime? And the Specials for that matter... Having said that, I couldn't care less about Jet.

Mo   #1   02:45 pm Sep 23 2009

this band went waaaaay downhill after their debut - mainly cos they've lacked that real upbeat energy alot of their first hits had. Now all their songs are just incredibly sombre. Not that I'm against bands changing their sound - but only if it actually sounds good!!

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