published: 31 /
5 /
2018
Label:
Jesus Jones Recordings
Format: CD
South-West England’s one time indie-dance trailblazers Jesus Jones return with a sixth album into a musical landscape where they may struggle to break through, but long-term fans will, however, love it
Review
This is the sixth Jesus Jones record and the first for neigh on seventeen years. Whereas the previous two efforts felt incredibly dated this (while by no means being on the cutting edge) at least comes at us baggage free and while the formula seems to have remained the same, ‘Passages’ feels more in sync with the musical stratosphere that surrounds it this time around for sure.
As usual for a Jesus Jones record there is filler here which bugs me still to this day. They prove time and again they are capable of greatness but no matter what bleeps and bubbly FX dress up ‘Grateful’ and ‘Fall’ there is no denying it sounds like the band are phoning it in.
But… and it’s a big but… this time around there are tracks on here where Jesus Jones sound vital. Slow burners such as ’So Welcome’ and ‘One Day at a Time’ breeze by on first listen, but with repeated plays they stick in your head and for the first time in twenty years or so I find myself really wanting to play Jesus Jones again on my stereo.
‘How’s This Even Going Down?’ and album opener ‘Where Are All the Dreams?’ are the instantaneous fodder here but I can’t help but wonder where is all this headed. I get it. I really like it. But I was there the first time round, and I feel like a part of the band’s history. There is an ageing fanbase out there of course just like myself but can ‘Passages’ bring new blood into the fold? I can’t see it.
Track Listing:-
1
Where Are All the Dreams?
2
Suck It Up
3
Chemistry
4
Fall
5
Rounding Out the Square Holes
6
How's This Even Going Down?
7
So Welcome
8
Grateful
9
One Day at a Time
10
Stripped
Band Links:-
https://www.jesusjones.com/
https://www.songkick.com/artists/11075
https://twitter.com/jesusjonesband
https://www.facebook.com/jesusjonesban