The Jezabels – Prisoner
Prisoner (Bonus Disk Edition)
Released 5th march 2012
Prisoner starts out so strong, with the brilliant, Easy to Love. The problem is that when this was the one track that made me want to listen to the album and when it is the one that kick starts it all off, you kind of have expectations. It’s nothing unusual. That’s exactly what that lead single’s job is: to put the best foot forward, to give an impression of what to expect. You’re probably wondering why then this is a problem? Well, it is for The Jezabels, because it’s just like that comedy trailer you saw at the cinema…. you know the one where they’ve used all of the best bits to get you there and the rest is rather a little under par. This is that film, in album format.
The second song, Endless Summer, still holds some interest, but it’s just nothing great. It’s a little bit nondescript, for other bands this might have been their best track, but for The Jezabels, I expected more. This feels pale, too mellow and actually too pretty for them. It does tell me it’s an acoustic version, so I of course went to find the original version. Much Better! I don’t care much for this acoustic version I don’t know why it’s on the album version I have. I think I will be re-building this album track by track.
Hurt Me is a track that is, thankfully, in it’s original state. It’s piano softness versus drumming violence gives a fantastic rift to a track that could have sounded a little safe (please don’t let them give us an acoustic version of this). It’s a great track where the vocals really cut through it all. I really enjoy the energy of this track and the way it flows. The percussion doesn’t punctuate it but drives it on and on and on and it’s almost relentless yet still builds to a blow out at the end. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was already so in love with Easy To Love then I think this would have been my favourite track.
Live versions. Live versions are for those bands who really have got their live act down to faultless performance, or at least when it adds interest. The live versions on this album make me not want to go and see a band who I may otherwise may well have wanted to go and watch live. I get that this is the Bonus Disk Edition, but Bonus, implies something worth really having. I’m just not getting that. I think this album would be best left alone, in it’s original state, without mediocre, and almost at times, bland, versions of perfectly good edgy pop tracks.
