Jonezetta

For the first week that I had Jonezetta's debut album Popularity, I could not stop listening to it. Honestly, I listened to this album to the exclusion of all other music. It's hard to pinpoint one thing that makes this album so addicting. Popularity combines 11 brilliant indie rock songs that leave you with an overwhelming urge to dance. The underlying factors that drive this album along are the catchy beats of the drums and the rhythmic bass lines, which have the aesthetic appeal of a well-written melody line. The beautiful thing is that this album manages to really showcase these instruments without making them overwhelming to the listener. Kyle Howe's guitar lines expertly complement lead singer Robert Chisolm's vocals to create some of the catchiest hooks in any album I've heard this year. Beside all of this excellent musicianship, an undertone of electric vibes runs throughout the album, making it all the more fun. I have to admit that the vocals get slightly screamy at times, but this seems appropriate in songs like "Man in a 3K Suit" and "Backstabber", which have pretty angry themes. Mellower songs like "The City We Live In" really showcase the fact that Chisolm has a great voice with a very unique tone.

Now, I've read reviews of Popularity that say its lyrics lack depth. All I can say is that a statement like that shows sheer mindlessness on the part of the reviewer. Jonezetta manages to avoid cliche phrases about the meaning of life in order to delve into more honest, intelligent lyrics that really explore various facets of what it means to be human, including painful and joyful relationships, arrogance, loneliness, and, that's right... popularity. Some songs, like "Get Ready (Hot Machete)" are just fun, but who ever said you weren't allowed to have fun sometimes? I really appreciate the honesty and the depth of Popularity's lyrics; they show a maturity that is not often apparent in fairly young rock bands. Overall, I highly recommend that you check Jonezetta out. You can listen to a few of their songs on purevolume or MySpace, or you can buy the album on iTunes. This album is full of great songs, but here are a few highlight tracks: "Welcome Home", "Get Ready (Hot Machete)", "Popularity", "Imagination". Enjoy!