Over the last 10 years Jacob have established themselves ”your favourite band’s favourite band”; with support slots for Turnstile, Tigers Jaw, Modern Baseball, The Get Up Kids and Tassie favourites Luca Brasi, two beloved LPs up their sleeve, and a spot on the roster of the infamous Sydney-based punk label Resist Records.
With new album The Rock Band, Jacob effectively recreates the raucous, unhinged energy from their live shows they’ve come to be known for whilst still managing to show off their most confident and cohesive songwriting yet. The album explodes with Atom Bomb following a tense, eerie build-up on the opening track Jacob is a real boy, and from there the album really doesn’t let up in the slightest.
Pre-released singles Like a Hurricane, Not Only When You’re Lonely and Hospital show off how far the band’s songwriting has progressed, with intricate layering and dynamic song structures. Kiss Me Jealous, which features the band’s original vocalist Chris Young, is a sensory overload in the best possible way. The track is the perfect example of a Jacob’s sound; with five-way vocal parts coming at the listener from every direction, a heavy pounding from the rhythm section, screeching guitars and Crystal Castles-esque synth work, the song still manages to feel sincere, honest and find a sort of beauty amongst the chaos.
