For a band that feature members of Face To Face, Saves The Day and the Foo Fighters, Jackson United are a bit of a disappointment. With a rock/pop-punk take on things, none of the 14 tracks that make up their debut album would sit comfortably on any of the records their ‘day jobs’ have made these guys famous for. ‘Western Ballads’ is a record which meanders its way through 55 minutes of relative tedium, only on fleeting occasions separating the bland songs with a couple of upbeat and perky singalong moments.
While ‘Lon’s Roar’ and ‘All The Way’ are chipper enough, it takes ‘Down To You’, the album’s fourth song, to actually make any kind of impact. The problem with ‘Western Ballads’ is that every song seems to blend into the next. The guitar tones are all very similar and the song structures aren’t particularly interesting or original. While songs like ‘She’s Giving In’, ‘Fell Into’ and ‘Long Shadow’ are catchy and hummable, these are followed up with bland and uninspiring efforts like ‘Unchanged’. Chris Shiflett’s vocals are also pretty standard fare and you can’t help but think that this band have got where they have for the bands they tend to focus on more, rather than the quality of this release.
It’s quite simple to see why Jackson United ended up as a side-project and I doubt Dave Grohl will be quaking in his boots when the Foos write their next album. So much talent in one band, yet an album that really never gets going. It’s too long, too samey and very much a disappointment.
www.jacksonunited.com
Sorepoint
Paul