The Jealous SoundA Gentle Reminder
Music Is Subjective [2012]
Fire Note Says: A solid melodic rock return after nine years for The Jealous Sound.
Album Review:
I am sure that nine years in the music business probably equates around 100 years in the real world but that is how long it has been since The Jealous Sound released their critically praised debut Kill Them With Kindness [2003]. The group's sophomore follow up, A Gentle Reminder, is a sonic success and sounds like the band never took any time off with its soaring guitars, strong emo grooves and frontman Blair Shehan's stylistic and memorable vocals.
After taking some considerable time off and several moves Shehan reunited with Pedro Benito and bassist Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate) which resulted in them opening up for Sunny Day Real Estate's reunion tour in 2009. This sparked the creativity and now A Gentle Reminder is the result.
As you might expect, the album definitely has a much more refined and mature feel to it but still contains all the passion and spirit that Shehan has always put into his music that dates back to his Knapsack days. What cannot be overlooked on A Gentle Reminder is its smooth track by track song structures that feature the band maxing out their instruments potential, as the record sounds great both turned up and with headphones. The chord switches in "Promise Of The West" are perfect and make the track stand out while the hum along "Perfect Timing" is a brooding winner that features swirling instruments at all the right moments.
If you were a fan of The Jealous Sound before then picking up A Gentle Reminder should be a no brainer as it sounds spot on and not only meets but may exceed previous expectations. For new listeners, A Gentle Reminder may take several spins to sink in but once it hits you, you realize that even though this is only the groups sophomore album - the talent easily surpasses the limited Jealous Sound output and will have you reaching for the repeat button quickly!
Key Tracks: "Promise Of The West", "Perfect Timing", "Beautiful Morning"
Bands With Similar Fire:
Jimmy Eat World
Knapsack
The Promise Ring
The Jealous Sound Website
The Jealous Sound Facebook
Music Is Subjective
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
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