Customer Reviews

Immigrant

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

IMMIGRANT is by far the best album I've heard from this band. Before these guys went off the glam-Duran-disco-whatever deep end, they actually rocked - on this album at least. PROMISE, their first album, is kind of a warm-up for IMMIGRANT, in my view. Someone made an apparently last minute addition of "Bruises," originally on PROMISE, to IMMIGRANT (the song title doesn't appear on the original album sleeve, which I have on vinyl). "Bruises" is the best song on PROMISE but almost pales in comparison to the best songs on IMMIGRANT. I haven't heard PROMISE in a while though, and I'm not sure if "Bruises" is the same version on each album.

The songwriting (which could qualify as "gothic," your imagination permitting) is better on IMMIGRANT and the playing is tighter and punchier. The music itself is pretty distinctive, incorporating Middle Eastern touches. I find the quivering, high-pitched voices of the twin Aston brothers to be deliciously vampiric, although I think a lot of others (particluarly girls) just find them sexy. However you hear them, these guys do sound pretty unique.

The best tracks:

The opening rocker "Always A Flame"

The gorgeous, hovering "Stephen"

The evocative, propulsive "The Immigrant"

And the more easy-going closer, "Coal Porter"

But my absolute favorite is the bizarre and slinky "The Rhino Plasty." That one's really out there.

4 stars because some of the other tracks don't quite measure up as well. "Worth Waiting For" is the weakest in my view and "Cow" doesn't turn me on so much either. But "Shame" is good and I do actually like "Bruises."

An aside: I won't say this band's name is as dog-awful as, say, Marcy Playground, but I think the choice to call themselves Gene Loves Jezebel probably turned off some people who might have liked them otherwise. Can't say that it really bothers me though! Too bad, but they pretty much lost me after their next release DISCOVER came out.

Can't comment on the bonus CD as I haven't heard it. I'll have to break down and get this version at some point, in which case I will probably update my review.

Ah, the cackling, caterwauling histrionics of the Aston twins. A strictly take-it-or-leave-it affair, the music of Gene Loves Jezebel is just as likely to alienate as it is to enamor (especially the early records).

Immigrant, the Welshmen's sophomore album, is the band's first work of true greatness, if you ask me. The Jezebels really got it right here -- this time, the twins wrap their crazy, yelping vocal stylings around indelible melodies, while the band lock down on airtight, dancey art punk rhythms, invoking Bauhaus, the Banshees, even U2.

Somewhere, a future Perry Farrell was studying this stuff very closely.

PS - the re-issue version of Immigrant is totally worth the purchase, as its second disc teems with historical artifacts from GLJ's fascinating musical story.

IMMIGRANT is by far the best album I've heard from this band. Before these guys went off the glam-Duran-disco-whatever deep end, they actually rocked - on this album at least. PROMISE, their first album, is kind of a warm-up for IMMIGRANT. Someone made an apparently last minute addition of "Bruises," originally on PROMISE, to IMMIGRANT (the song title doesn't appear on the original album sleeve). "Bruises" is the best song on PROMISE but practically pales in comparison to the best songs on IMMIGRANT.

The songwriting (which could qualify as "gothic," your imagination permitting) is better on IMMIGRANT and the playing is tighter and punchier. The music itself is pretty distinctive, incorporating Middle-Eastern touches. I find the quivering, high-pitched voices of the twin Aston brothers to be deliciously vampyric, although I think a lot of others, girls in particular, just find them sexy. However you hear them, these guys do sound pretty unique.

The best tracks:

The opening rocker "Always A Flame"

The gorgeous, hovering "Stephen"

The evocative, propulsive "The Immigrant"

And the more easy-going closer, "Coal Porter"

But my absolute favorite is the bizarre and slinky "The Rhino Plasty." That one's really out there.

4 stars because some of the other tracks don't quite measure up as well. "Worth Waiting For" is the weakest in my view and "Cow" doesn't turn me on so much either. But "Shame" is good and I do actually like "Bruises."

An aside: I won't say this band's name is as dog-awful as, say, Marcy Playground, but I think the choice to call themselves Gene Loves Jezebel probably turned off some people who might have liked them otherwise. Can't say that it really bothers me though! Too bad, but they pretty much lost me after their next release DISCOVER came out.