 | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
Jets to Brazil: Four Cornered Night
Jets to Brazil has lived in the shadows of its members' former bands since the release of its 1998 debut, Orange Rhyming Dictionary. Critics and fans questioned the new band's ability to live up to the punk of Jawbreaker and the emo-core of Texas is the Reason. However, with its sophomore release, Four Cornered Night, the Jets serve up a diverse, cohesive, and brilliant album that eliminates any doubts.
Lyrics have always been singer/songwriter/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach's strong suit and the 13 songs on Night are no exception. From the introspection of "One Summer Last Fall" to "Mid-Day Anonymous," a psychological portrait of a serial killer, Schwarzenbach pens poignant lyrics with newfound confidence. Jets to Brazil is not a one man show, however, and Jeremy Chatelain's bass lines and Chris Daly's steady drumming complement more rocking numbers like "Milk and Apples." The addition of a second guitarist rounds out the band's more complex sound.
Night showcases the Jets' ability to intertwine Schwarzenbach's lyrics around varied song structures. In "In the Summer..." Schwarzenbach emphatically croons, "Summer girl all summer long you know the winter's wrong/Southbound those motel towns can mend the most broken mornings" with only light guitar strumming in the background. Piano takes center stage in the solo, highlighting the band's beguiling arrangements even as it stirs more instruments into its musical mixing bowl.
Four Cornered Night opens with Schwarzenbach's confession that "if I had another last chance...I would start back at the start." While the album may not be completely divorced from the members' previous works, a new start seems unnecessary as Night embodies a musical style that Jets to Brazil can proudly call their own. (Jade Tree)
—Julia Kripke
All materials © 2000 The Yale Herald, Inc., and its staff.
Got any questions, comments, or advice? Email the online editors at
online@yaleherald.com.
Like to join us?