aaamusic | On 04, Mar 2012

Former NME ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Day’, The Static Jacks are a decent New Jersey indie four-piece. ‘If You’re Young’ is their debut album, and it’s an impressive collection of indie anthems when you consider the fact they only formed in 2009. However, it falls slightly short of greatness when you consider how much The Static Jacks’ songs sound like their influences.

 

The first thing I will say is that the production is particularly fitting for a record of this sort, with the vocals noticeably left a little lower in the mix, allowing the grit of the guitars to push through to prominence. The vocals of Ian Devaney are mighty fine, with his hearty baritone voice flitting between croon and bark, channeling emotional clout similar to The National’s Matt Berninger – and just like Berninger, Devaney’s lyrics are thoughtful and sincere.

 

The only problem I really have with The Static Jacks, and perhaps unfairly so, is the variety of indie-rock subgenres they have incorporated into ‘If You’re Young’. Songs like opener ‘Defend Rosie’ and highlight ‘Walls [We Can’t Work It Out]’ contain a real punk-rock urgency, with thrilling drumming and vocals, and promising post-punk guitars. The greatness of these songs makes me doubt the greatness of the other songs – not because they are inferior compositions, as such, but because they use different indie templates. ‘Sonata [Maybe We Can Work It Out]’ is an indie-pop, Morrissey-by-numbers tune, ‘It’s A Shame’ is fine but uninspiring 80s new-wave, and the majority of ‘My Parents Lied’ is off-kilter, math-indie, which though pretty fantastic, doesn’t really fit the mood of the rest of the record.

 

It’s not that I feel that every song should have been of the same mold – the slight shoegaze of ‘Girl Parts’ (featuring Ceci Gomez of Beast Make Bomb), the sonic touches of ‘This Is Me Dancing’, and the massive, massive new-wave of ‘Mercy, Hallelujah’ (sounding very much like The Cure) are personal favourites. It’s just that some of those songs that incorporate new-wave, indie-pop, or regular jangly indie, do in so in a way that depletes the appealing punk-rock that carries the best parts of the album.

 

That being said, I do think The Static Jacks have created an indie album that features some of the finest vocals and I’ve heard in 2012, and an album that has plenty moments of genuine excellence. ‘If You’re Young’ is one of the albums that contains hidden hooks; and an album that will have different and evolving highlights for different people. It’s a very respectable debut album from a very promising young indie-rock band – I just hope they find and settle on their defining sound for album number two.

 

Clive Rozario