Remember when music was fun but clever? When you didn’t have to dumb it down? Much like neo-new wave giants Coldplay, Weezer and Death Cab For Cutie, Jonezetta is here to rejuvenate a pop landscape that has forgotten you can have fun and brains, too. Jonezetta’s Tooth & Nail sophomore release is full of mood and atmosphere, with hooks that slice through the fog the way song titles like “Everything Is Gonna Change” would suggest.
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INFECTIOUS ROCKERS INCORPORATE EXPERIENCE INTO SOPHOMORE STANDOUT| Posted September 29, 2008
Four years ago Jonezetta nearly packed its bags and called it quits. But thanks to the gentle prodding of their manager and fellow rockers As Cities Burn, the spirited ensemble stayed put, spent some time hunkering down and tuning up and eventually earned Tooth & Nail’s largest new artist offer to date. Not bad for a band born out of its high school days in Clinton, Mississippi.
Now, only two years after the release of its full-length dance rock debut, Popularity, Jonezetta mixes it up with Cruel to be Young. Flavorful instrumentation and colorful composites of band, vocals, melody and rhyme make certain Jonezetta’s second go-around is nothing short of stellar.
Originally touted as a Killers and Franz Ferdinand combo, the quintet (keyboardist Tyler Kemp was added last year) has quieted its former flash with a rich indie sound that serves the band added dimension and matures its appeal five to 10 years.
While keeping enough synthesizers to tribute the ’80s and pop/punk subtleties to draw the younger youth, Jonezetta’s lead singer Robert Chisholm cites Isaac Brock’s (Modest Mouse) vocal tendencies. The spunky troupe trades the dance emphasis for subtle pulses along the lines of Death Cab for Cutie. And former Pedro the Lion lead singer David Bazan’s guest vocal is a perfect allusion to the gritty difference between Cruel to be Young and Popularity.
So much of Cruel to be Young sounds so right, and detailing all the highlights would fill a small volume. It’s not surprising Jonezetta is so musically sophisticated, but it’s startling to discover a Christian band that seems to be emerging with its own unique brand of rock. –Andrew Greer
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today!
4/5| Posted May 17, 2011
Jonezetta's sophomore album basically takes everything you know and love about the band and throws it out the window. If you listened to their debut album and went into this one expecting more of the same dance-type songs, prepare yourself for disappointment. Cruel To Be Young severly diverts from the dance pop and goes in a more indie rock direction.
Aside from the style change, this is still a very good album that's worthy of repeat listenings. Fans of the first album might not like this one because of the drastic style change but it's still a great album none the less.
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