Considering The Jezabels debut full-length has been out since September and reached the No. 2 spot in their native Australia, it can probably be assumed they are a lot bigger back home in the land of Oz than the rest of the world. That could very easily be about to change though, as this record shows an ambition and freshness of ideas that the UK indie rock scene desperately craves.
The band has been advertised as a kind of disco rock crossover in the vein of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and while there is some of that edge to them they have far more of the sweeping scope and gift for epic compositions that is in vein of Arcade Fire, with perhaps a touch of the otherworldly eeriness present in PJ Harvey‘s critically acclaimed Let England Shake. The mixture of melancholy guitar riffs and orchestral keyboard work, complemented by Hayley Mary’s soulful vocals convey a yearning and ambition that could be highlighting The Jezabels desire to break out onto the international stage. If there is a criticism it would be that the songs can sound a bit samey, but that’s a perfectly forgivable sin for a band that’s in their very early stages and already showing great potential.
9/10
