total blakeschwarzenboner from this, so good!

Ive listened to this about four times and had to force the last 3. I really liked the EP two years ago, and I like half of this but some of it sounds a lot more pretentious and droning. I went back to that Thorns Of Life live recording and gave that another listen and now I am just pissed.

gotta admit, i'm pretty into this.

While some of the songs lean closer to Blake's previous work, I like how the band is taking things into some of the post-punk direction, while still remaining raw. The fact that this record crosses the genre line, yet seems to flow nicely is a testament that Blake and crew still got it. And with J.Robbins on the boards and (most likely on the bass), this is like a combo of two of my favorite bands that start with Jaw in their names. Lyrically, the album is good, probably not Blake's best lyrics, but 90% better than the majority of shit people listen to these days. My favorite track has to be "Hoop and Swan" which is the most Jawbreaker-esque on the record, tracks like "I'm not Immune" echo with a Morrissey influences, where "Turn Away" crosses the line between early New Order, and Echo and the Bunnymen, except with Richard Butler on the vocals (Blake's post-surgery voice reminds me of Butler's). I'm looking forward to them releasing some of the material I've only heard on their live HIOQI podcast, and youtube videos... still waiting for "Black Art," "Heart Crane Pike" and "Death Trip"... looking forward to more. Come back to the West Coast!

really enjoy this. it's lighter than i expected, but just as pissed off. "i'm not immune" and "ribbonhead," man.

What a shocker that this got a 9.

Pfftttt.

this is funny: Jets to Brazil may have skewed more towards indie rock, but they always stuck with indie label Jade Tree.

indie rock is for sellouts!

I don't understand how someone can say there's nothing emo about Jawbreaker. They're a punk band, fur sure, but they get really artsy and have deep introspective lyrics, all the makings of emo. You can't find a single emo band that formed in between 1995 and 2001 that didn't list Jawbreaker as a major influence. It also used to be commonplace to call them emo, but now the punx don't wanna like an emo band, so this argument is started.

Anyways, this album is good.

This sounds great. Very good review. I think I like the album art, but that could change.

I feel like I am fighting with myself. Mea Culpa.

Early 1990's emo is different than modern mall emo or whatever and everybody knows that and knows that it's annoying that they use the same word. But we all also know the Guy Picciotto quote: "I've never recognized 'emo' as a genre of music. I always thought it was the most retarded term ever. I know there is this generic commonplace that every band that gets labeled with that term hates it. They feel scandalized by it. But honestly, I just thought that all the bands I played in were punk rock bands. The reason I think it's so stupid is that - what, like the Bad Brains weren't emotional? What - they were robots or something? It just doesn't make any sense to me."

What I'm saying is that it's no big whoop to revelate that band isn't emo because that's been a given for 30 years. Low standards if one is taking the word emo with any value whatsoever.

The only way I could see somebody making that (emo) comparison is if they quit after making Bivouac. That album especially the titular track could be used to make that case against them.
I'm not defending the charges, just saying...

First line of wikipedia page:

Jawbreaker was an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996 and considered one of the most influential acts of the early-1990s emo movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawbreaker_(band)

Th ey are still referred to incorrectly as emo all the time.

All you have to do know Jawbreaker isn't emo is read the wikipedia page. You made a lazy comment and it was worth complicating.

Jeez man. I was just happy the guy didn't call it emo. I agree with you. Save the dissertation for pitchfork tryouts.

"knows Jawbreaker was, and should always be considered, a pop-punk band"

Why you gotta start shit? That's way too general of a statement. Unfun is definitely a document of a pop-punk band. 24HRT to an extent, as well. But they're not as linear of a band as it is sometimes assumed. Whack and Bite EP, their earliest, is very hardcore, DCish. Bivouac is unlike anything else, art rock and hardcore. Then Dear You is totally a pop/hard-rock record. It's given that they're not "emo" and "emo" is a useless term, but they were way to expansive to be considered strictly a pop-punk band. IMO.

Forgetters is different. That's why we're here. Some of Bivouac and "Condition Oakland" and "Eye-5" are in forgetters--the sampling. Blake does it better than anybody. Really uninhibited album.

Cool album, but I don't think I'll ever like Blake's vocals.

I like this record a lot. Nice review. Extra props for the "This is not pop punk." reference. If I see one more reference to Jawbreaker as being emo, not sure what I might do, but it will be bad. Proves the reviewer knows his stuff--knows Jawbreaker was, and should always be considered, a pop-punk band. forgetters are most definitely not pop punk.

I just hope they keep moving. I want to see where this train can go.

I've only given this two listens so far, but I've gotta say I'm really liking it. As with just about everything Blake has ever touched, I don't really feel qualified to criticise anything until I'm 100% comfortable with the album.

Sounds a lot like J Robbins while still being totally Schwrznbchian. McMahon does 14 kickass things on each song. Brilliant record. "In America" is the cheesy song, not "Strike." Human League cover is amazing. Forgetters, Franz Nicolay, and Hop Along made the real albums this year. Signs ☮ the Times.

@leecorsoisapenis ha, that's funny cause at times Perfecting Loneliness is possibly my favourite of the 3 JTB records.well, and then i hear Chinatown and start to doubt myself.

I'm glad i'm not the only one that's getting that vibe off of this record though. definitely not what i was expecting after the double 7" and the stuff they recorded live on the radio but still i'm really liking what i'm hearing.

Milkplus, that is exactly what I thought. Perfecting Loneliness was such a letdown. This reminds me a lot of that album, except, you know, good.

I love Jets and Jawbreaker and am glad Blake's performing again, but this isn't his best. It tends to drone, the vocals sound derivative (admittedly of bands inspired by Jawbreaker like Alk3), and everything considered, it sounds more like a private art project than a piece of compelling public art.

I love Jets and Jawbreaker and am glad Blake's performing again, but this isn't his best. It tends to drone, the vocals sound derivative (admittedly of bands inspired by Jawbreaker like Alk3), and everything considered, it sounds more like a private art project than a piece of compelling public art.

totally digging this, it seems like a stripped down version of what Blake was getting at on Perfecting Loneliness. and that random calypso-esque bit in Strike is fucking genius.

Found the 7" to be hit or miss but they played a blinder of a gig in Leeds last year that made me really start to to get excited about a possible full length. Going on this review it sounds like it's going to be an interesting listen...

There's some good stuff on here, but the three songs from their radio show that aren't on this are better than most of these songs. I guess I'm just being negative.

haven't heard this yet but it can't help but end up second to the classics of love record in the 2012 "old dude who made awesome old records fronts new band and makes incredibly awesome new record with crappy oil painting on the cover" category

Gettin' this for Christmas, but glad to see a good review on it.

Love this album a lot. It's the middle ground between Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil.

I'm trying to gauge the love it/hate it split. I'm guessing 65/35. Over/under?