The Jezabels
Synthia
12th February; Dine Alone Records
Before I had even listened to any of the tracks on the album, I was intrigued by some of their rather dramatic, long-winded titles such as ‘My Love is my Disease’ and ‘A Message From my Mothers Passed’. Having never heard of this band before I was unsure of what to expect. These gothic sounding titles suggested something slightly dark and brooding, and I was not wrong. The name Synthia also give a hint of the pop synthesiser effects which form the backbone of the quartet’s sound.
The first track ‘Stand and Deliver’ begins with a slightly eerie, almost futuristic electronic noise which gradually builds in volume and depth into a crescendo of sound. After what feels like a long time, some vocals finally emerge. The vocals in this track are partly just spoken rather than sung which also contributes to the eerie atmosphere. However, the song becomes slightly more conventional throughout. (Apart from the fact that it is seven and a half minutes long which is certainly not conventional!)
Florence Welch Meets crystal castles
This very open, big sound continues in most of the tracks on the album. Having said that, tracks such as ‘smile’ and ‘a message from My Mothers Passed’ seem softer and are more stripped back. The contrasts between louder and softer sections are also very effective.
I particularly enjoyed the beginning of ‘Come Alive’ with a strange drum beat which brings connotations of some sort of ritual. This is heightened when the vocals finally come in as they almost sound like a spell. Eventually, this song also builds into a crescendo towards the end. Similar ritualistic beats also appear at the beginning of several other tracks.
Something that I love about this album is the way that the strong female vocals are coupled with a creative electronic backing. I would almost describe it as Florence Welch meeting Crystal Castles; certainly something different and unpredictable.
The lyrics and the meanings of the songs are hard to decipher meaning that this album really makes you think. The lyrics of ‘Unnatural’ are particularly interesting as they refer to women who are misrepresented and misunderstood. Indeed, the empowerment of women is something that the group are very concerned with. The name ‘Jezabels’ itself reflects this as it refers to the misunderstood Biblical character.
The haunting quality of the sound perhaps makes this album more suitable as the soundtrack for a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights than for everyday listening (in my opinion the Jezabels could definitely give Kate Bush a run for her money). It would also be great as a backing for some sort of melodramatic contemporary dance routine. However, the songs are not exactly catchy by any stretch of the imagination and I imagine that they would be very difficult to sing along to. Nevertheless, an interesting listen.