Jinx [Import]

Quarashi | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 30, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sony / Bmg Japan
• ASIN: B00007DXT0
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,297,119 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Stick 'Em Up

2. Mr. Jinx

3. Baseline

4. Malone Lives

5. Tarfur

6. Copycat

7. Transparent Parents

8. Weirdo

9. Xeneizes

10. F*** You Puto

11. Dive In

12. Bless

13. Into Your Arms (Bonus Track For Japan Only)

14. Switchstance (Bonus Track For Japan Only)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Iceland's answer to Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Linkin Park, Quarashi's rock-rap-industrial hybrid usually makes for bad rap and even worse rock, but the mix works on Jinx for reasons unknown. The group's Fred Durst rap-metal shtick ("Stick 'Em Up," "Weirdo") is a bit tired, but its Beastie Boys-style eclecticism ("Mr. Jinx," "Baseline") flips a catchy cornucopia of horn, guitar, and xylophone samples. Certainly, when Quarashi pull out all of their experimental stops on "Tarfur," a percussion-heavy funk track that's recorded in Icelandic, or "Dive In," a techno ballad crooned by the band's jack-of-all-trades Hössi Olafsson, the results are fun. Move over Björk and Sigur Rós, there's a new innovator in town. --Dalton Higgins

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rap/rock and yet...I still like it?!, April 17, 2002

By 

Roland66x "Roland" (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jinx (Audio CD)

This album proves that even ridiculous genres like rap/rock aren't necessarily entirely bereft of value. If Lincoln Park are a good rap/rock band that lean heavily towards the rock side of things, Quarashi are a good rap/rock band that lean heavily towards the rap side. A lot of the vocals will remind you of maybe Fred Durst crossed with the Beastie Boys, and yes I know that probably sounds like a major turn-off. But somehow, despite the high-pitched whine inspired by Limp/Beastie music, the vocals somehow don't really annoy me at all. In a lot of ways, Quarashi just takes the basic formula of the Beastie Boys and do it better. They throw in some really heavy guitars too, much heavier than the Beasties, so the album isn't as completely derivative as I might be making it sound.

As far as the songs go, they're pretty decent stuff, and as Quarashi brag, they're not just trying to write an album full of hit singles. You can't say that about most bands these days. The album kicks off with the Brendan O'Brien-produced Stick 'Em Up, which is probably the only song that even comes close to resembling a hit on this album. Things mostly get a lot mellower on the rest of the rest of the album, although the whole album still has a pretty agressive feel to it thanks to the vocals. There are a lot of almost jazzy samples, like on the fairly laid-back 4th track. The final song is a too-brief instrumental with a weird female vocal loop.

The best part about the album is that it just seems packed with energy somehow, even on the more mellow tracks. Since music right now is saturated with oh-so-blah bands like Default and Nickleback, this one sounds great just because its such a change of pace. Anyhow, check it out even if you aren't a fan of rap-rock, because Quarashi are one of the few groups that are exceptions to the rule.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Debut, April 9, 2002

By 

J. Hoffmann (Lenexa, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jinx (Audio CD)

I bought this CD this off of the strength of their "Stick 'Em Up" video, and the rest of the CD is pretty damn good. For those who don't know, the group is from Iceland, and Jinx is their first American release.

Even though they are from Iceland, it doesn't really show up much in their songs, except for "Tarfur" which is rapped in Icelandic. They have a sound similar to a lot of the groups out right now who rap over guitar driven tracks. The best thing I can think of is comparing Quarashi to is the Beastie Boys around the time they released "Check Your Head." The lead rapper sounds a bit like the King Ad Rock with his flow and voice, and the beats just have a good funk sound with a heavy bassline for most tracks. The CD also contains a few instramentalish tracks. My 2 favorite tracks off the CD would have to be "Weirdo" and "Stick 'Em Up." The "Stick 'Em Up" video is also on limited edition copies of the CD.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution of Rap/Rock, April 12, 2002

By 

Dogmai (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jinx (Audio CD)

Quarashi is such a great relief to any fan even remotely interested in the rap/rock genre or even the industrial genre. Their killer beats, imaginative and lively lyrics, and absolutely great guitar riffs get you up and moving and never let you stop.

Quarashi's current single Stick Em Up is a great song to get you pumped up because of the constant beats and the loud, criss-crossing guitars with a riff you won't forget easily.

Another one of the songs on Jinx is entitled Tarfur. This happens to be the only rap song recorded and published in Icelandic. Although I doubt many people outside of Iceland will understand what is being said, the lyrics have a unique sound to them and it doesn't matter that they aren't in a language you know.

My personal favorite song on the new album is called Baseline. As the name suggests, the song has a heavy bass backbone. The lyrics are great and the chorus is always fun to rap along with.

Overall, this is easily the best album I own and very likely to be the best until Quarashi releases another one. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Especially fans of the Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine.

5 stars out of 5