The Jesus and Mary Chain review: The veteran duo swivel focus into weirder alt-rock
Alexander Burgess
STACK Writer
Scottish bro-duo The Jesus and Mary Chain have dumped 2017's bright pop inspo for some stranger - and more compelling - tactics on 'Glasgow Eyes.'
At a glance
The Jesus and Mary Chain's eighth studio album Glasgow Eyes lands this week
Songwriting partnership Jim and William Reid make use of experimental fuzz, intricate soundscapes, and post-punk rhythms
The Jesus and Mary Chain (JAMC) present a rare, free and beguiling expression of creativity on Glasgow Eyes.
Such an unruly approach to songwriting needs a deft hand to manipulate the dials, and these stalwarts of alternative rock show exquisite command over their craft.
In a distinctive stylistic shift, Glasgow Eyes sees JAMC do away with the bright-eyed, pop-inspired songwriting that featured prominently on their last album, 2017's Damage and Joy (the act’s first release since disbanding in the late '90s). Instead, the record concerns itself with curating a type of angular, less accessible sound in the annals of alt.
After an eclectic introductory passage (replete with laser beam sound effects and fuzzed-out digital tones), Venal Joy Fast immediately spurs us forward with an airy, propulsive rhythm. Post-punk’s fingerprints are all over the Joy Division-esque Jamcod; the distorted Pure Poor drags its feet in a hazy saunter; and the sun-steeped The Eagles and The Beatles ironically makes more references to The Rolling Stones than its namesakes.
Silver Strings finds the band skulking across a wire of intricate staccato notes, while the murky soundscapes of Chemical Animal provide the ideal backdrop for the Reid brothers' poignant tale of substance use.
Once Glasgow Eyes's frequencies weave their way into your subconscious, you’ve no choice but to ride the current of these brainwave vibrations – so plug yourself in!
Glasgow Eyes by The Jesus and Mary Chain drops via Fuzz Club.
link your ears up to the jesus and mary chain
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