March 21
Words by Kris Peters
I am in an interesting position going into this review of The Superjesus‘ new, self-titled album, due out March 21.
Although I have seen the band live more times than my daughter has said ‘I love you Daddy’, I have yet to actually sit down and listen to a full album. On the one hand, I know I already like their music, but on the other – and with only their incredible live show to judge on – my expectations may already be too high.
A conundrum indeed…
The best way to find out is to hit play, which ushers in a quick drum roll before guitarist Cameron Blokland comes over the top with a tasty riff that eases into the track Starlight. We even get a guitar solo before vocalist Sarah McLeod has a chance to reach for her microphone – a surprising, but cool as fuck, intro.
But when she does come in around the one-minute mark, it is with a subtle and soulful delivery that is drenched in emotion. It’s a strangely subdued opening track in an age where most bands like to come out of the gate swinging.
But The Superjesus aren’t most bands. They have crafted their reputation around being fiercely self dependant and non-conformist so whether this has anything to do with the fact the album opens on a more approachable level, or if there is, in fact, no obvious reason why, it’s still fucken cool.
There’s a lot of everything going on here, including more guitar solos and a subtle (is it acoustic?) breakdown towards the end that highlights the maturity that The Superjesus have promised is on display with their new body of work.
We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over is a touch more up-tempo, the instruments sitting maybe a little lower in the mix to accentuate McLeod’s vocals in this one. It has a catch, steady groove that simmers below the surface of an irresistible vocal hook that I’m sure many people will relate to.
If there’s one thing I have noticed, even at this early stage, is The Superjesus certainly know how to craft a tune. I don’t even know what I am talking about here, but the songs seem to have a cascading flow to them that sweeps you up for the ride – until the band decides it’s time to knock you off your board and start treading water again.
Which is what they do halfway through We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over as the instruments pull back even more to allow McLeod to work her magic and drag you back onto the board from whence you just fell.
Next track Romance must surely be a ballad judging by the title, and I find myself cringing a little inside at the thought. Why spoil a fantastic start by making listeners miserable with a soppy love song?
But from the initial strains of synthesiser through to the chunky guitar riff that follows I soon discover The Superjesus may have thrown a curveball with the title. This is a tough and meaty take on romance – much like my recent experiences – and draws you in with a punchy groove that shuffles along with an ’80s style feel of nostalgia.
Well placed backing vocals accentuate the wonders of romance, but even that can’t detract from the more muscular take on the term. The song pulls back before pounding back to life with a touch more urgency as McLeod continually assures me I don’t know a thing about romance, so much so that by the end of the song I think she may be right.
Money (We’re Only In It For Love) again sounds like my past experiences, with the swirling guitars that accompany the opening salvo bringing back so many unwelcome memories.
This is more of a straight-up rock song; the meat and potatoes stuff that The Superjesus are known and loved for. But they seem to have their own formula for perfecting it. Fuck knows what it is, but if anything they have tapped more into it over the two decades they have been absent of new music.
I have a feeling I will be singing this one in my sleep, it’s that catchy. Thanks guys.
Latest single Diamonds comes out next, twisting straight for the heartstrings with a sombre, soft opening that sounds like it’s just McLeod and her piano. This is exactly the sort of song I was thinking Romance would be but instead of reaching for the skip button as I am already subconsciously doing, I find myself more sitting back comfortably in my chair and allowing the emotion of the song to cast away my usual prejudice.
This is a sensationally beautiful song and is destined to be one of those tracks that has fans crying and fainting when played live. The only other song I have seen (or liked) similar to this is Dear Daughter from Halestorm that has Lzzy Hale sat behind her piano and mesmerizing all in sundry with her vocal prowess, but I will go out on a limb here and say McLeod does it better.
And she’s Australian!
Something Good promises something special and shuffles to life with a steady passage that allows McLeod to put on a touch of raspiness, which only adds to the sense of the occasion. This is a catchy number with an even catchier chorus that will also sit well in The Superjesus mosh pit. If they have such a thing. Tracks like this are made for radio – or Levis jeans ads – and The Superjesus are masters at finding that sensibility.
Part way through, things break down into an almost James Bond type feel as Stuart Rudd‘s bass strums deliberately and precisely to bring a slight sense of potential peril. Which comes as McLeod fires up again with more intent that is somewhat tempered by soothing backing vocals that could be the yin to McLeod’s yang.
Or something like that.
Loneliness Is The New Black could be the theme song for a new Netflix movie and starts as such.
A mellow, soothing track, Loneliness Is The New Black sees The Superjesus plucking at the heartstrings. I can almost picture a plethora of new age concert-goers in touch with their emotions screaming every word back at the stage, feeling as if McLeod is voicing their thoughts and feelings through some unseen connection that has to be directed at them.
You get the picture? If you don’t, how’s this?
This song will connect with a lot of people.
As beautiful as Loneliness Is The New Black was, it’s time to get back to rock town, and Gangbusters delivers. With an intro as commanding as The Living End achieved with Prisoner Of Society, Gangbusters grabs you by the short and curlies from the get-go before pulling back a touch, morphing into an incredibly catchy and irresistible poppy kind of track.
A cool bass run changes tact somewhat before the drums shuffle into the picture and the guitars provide the physical and emotional support. This is tougher than a 10-day-old steak and chunkier than your favourite meat pie and perfectly encapsulates the musical versatility in The Superjesus’ arsenal. It has guitar driven angst, emotion fuelled harmonies, pounding bass runs and an uncompromising vocal delivery, and that’s all inside the first half of the song. I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as a musical playbook for bands out there, but if there is, those boxes would certainly be in it and in need of ticking.
Next up is a cover of Gen X‘s track Dancing With Myself, and it’s a banger. In a chat I had with McLeod earlier today she mentioned that she doesn’t feel like The Superjesus added much of their DNA to the original, but I can tell you now I would not have still been listening had this been any other version. For no reason other than the fact I could easily either take it or leave it.
But I would definitely take this one. Anywhere it wanted me to, in fact. It is an up-tempo and ballsy tune that actually finds me tapping both feet – and if you know me at all, then you would know that getting even one of those lazy fuckers moving is an achievement!
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, so it is only fitting the last song is called Lights Out.
It starts with a tasty guitar run before the rest of the band front for last drinks and ease into a smoothly tempered parting shot that would be ideal for that song a bartender plays when they want you to finish your drink and fuck off. Not that it would work on me, but maybe on others…
It’s a perfect closing chapter to a beautifully constructed slab of music from The Superjesus. If I had the patience I would urge them to take another twenty odd years with the next album to recapture the precision of this one but fuck that.
23 years is way too long.
Pre-order The Superjesus here: https://gyro.to/TheSuperjesus
