Jawbreaker, arguably one of, the most influential bands ever to set foot outside a practice room, are back. Well, sort of. The seminal ‘Dear You’ has earned a re-release on Blackball Records and despite my cynical leanings towards the subject of re-releasing records, we can all rejoice at this fact.
Firstly, the record has been out of print for nigh on eight years, which on the plus side means that nearly everyone can enjoy this fantastic album, but on the downside, reduces the collectable quality of it for anyone who owns the original pressing. Secondly, this includes all the songs from the ‘Dear You’ sessions, which means that you get five tracks not on the original pressing and finally, included is a big, colourful booklet with lyrics, photo’s and on the disc, a video for ‘Fireman’.
As for the album itself, who doesn’t love Jawbreaker? Well, I’m sure someone somewhere has an irrational dislike for them, but anyone with any sense should either worship or at least express a healthy interest in the recorded works of this fine band. For me, ‘Dear You’ is a tough one to call. If I’m going to be honest, there’s something about ’24 Hour Revenge Therapy’ that just pips ‘Dear You’ to the post, but that’s not to say that this isn’t a classic record.
Jawbreaker are one of those bands that you just can’t listen to on the ‘Random’ setting. Each album ebbs and flows together beautifully and ‘Dear You’ is no exception. ‘Save Your Generation’ crunches and jumps around and sets up the record perfectly before sliding into the mildly subdued ‘I Love You So Much It’s Killing Us Both’. Blake‘s trademark lyrical genius is constantly evident, from the ominous and poignant musings of ‘Accident Prone’ and the storytelling style of ‘Bad Scene, Everyone’s Fault’ and one of the standout tracks on the album, ‘Sluttering (May 4th)’. Each track has it’s own personality, and while a couple of songs refuse to shine above just being ‘good’, the majority of the album is special.
There’s not much you can say about Jawbreaker without reeling out copycat gushings about their ‘Classic Band’ status and their influential nature, but then, there isn’t much more that actually needs to be said. If you don’t have at least one Jawbreaker album in your collection, then you’re letting yourself down and seriously missing out on one of the best bands in a long time.
‘Dear You’ is both an excellent place to start for Jawbreaker virgins and what with the new tracks and video for ‘Fireman’, worthy of a place in any Jawbreaker aficionados collection. For once, a re-issue that isn’t just trying to cash in on a bands fame or demise. Jawbreaker, we salute you.
Ross