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 | HandsomeHandsome1997 Epic 
 Review by: Stewart Dowouis See others by this writer Only registered users can post comments 
 
Published on November 19th 2004
Far's 1998 release Water & Solutions continues to receive praise - much more than it did during its original release - from the post hardcore/emo crowd for being one of the most influential records of the late 90's. It was a damn good record indeed. However, one more deserving masterpiece of an album, in my opinion, rests quietly beneath all of this hype. In fact, this measly review will probably be the first exposure that record has received anywhere in the press in years. Handsome's 1997 self-titled debut somehow evaded the spotlight in the 90's and oddly enough (considering the current climate of today's punk scene) continues to find itself ignored to this very day by fans who would undoubtedly fall in love with it upon first listen. Not even the fact that ex-members of beloved bands like Quicksand, Murphy's Law/Cro-Mags and Helmet were in the band seems to help attract attention to what I would consider one of the best releases of the '90s. Why is this so? Is it the band name? Maybe. Handsome was released at the same time the ghastly "Hanson" phenomenon was taking over the country. Hanson. Handsome. The two were very similar sounding. What "punk" fan would want to be confused with fans of those pre-pubescent teen idols when wearing a Handsome t-shirt? Still though, something this mundane could not have resulted in the complete dismissal of a band this amazing. Was it the fact that they were on Epic, a major label? Maybe, but I seriously doubt it. So was Quicksand. So was Far! So what was it? I guess that will just have to remain one of the music industry's great mysteries. One thing that is certain, however, is that each time I swipe the dust off of the jewel case and pop this disc into the stereo I experience what would probably be best described as a sense of discovery. Imagine a botanist stumbling upon a previously undiscovered species of plant life. Picture the excitement he/she must feel knowing that they are witnessing something special before the rest of the world's eyes are even aware of it's existence. Each listen feels like a quiet discovery. Each song creates a vivid feeling of urgency. I know, this all probably sounds far too dramatic for a record review, but it should. Handsome is a solid album from the start of track 1 to the last note of track 12. Songs like "Left of Heaven," "Thrown Away," and "Dim the Lights" are timeless. In fact, if this record were re-released in its exact state under a different title today, no one would be able to tell that it was put on wax almost a decade ago. The smooth tempo changes, ambient guitar textures and incredibly infectious choruses grab me immediately and completely erase everything outside of that moment in time. Elements of Quicksand, Into Another, Seaweed, Helmet, and other bands of that era were undeniably evident in Handsome's sound. The same start-stop riffs, time changes and driving melodramatic chords heard from those bands were found on this album showered by tasteful drum work and singer Jeremy Chatelain's Jonah-ish vocals. All of it is further accented by the excellent production of Terry Date. Each song on this record is amazing. There's no filler on Handsome. It's just a shame that so few people have experienced its magic. Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up. You may have to search the web for hours to finds a used copy of Handsome, but trust me it will be worth it. People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
Walter's new project, Walking Concert, is very different, but very cool. "in conclusion. why am i one of 2 people i know who listens to quicksand?" i've never been able to listen to perfecting lonliness all the way through. It just bores me. The weakerthans have never written a bad song though...weakerthans>jets to brazil "in conclusion. why am i one of 2 people i know who listens to quicksand?" awesome album if this is anything like quicksand it will be gold ...but still i'd rather listen to quicksand. Yeah, it was one of the first enhanced discs ever. I bought that album the year it came out, no joke. But I was young and stupid and I sold it a couple weeks after. I remember there was some enhanced content on the disc.... I love the Weakerthans as much as any self respecting Canuck should. I don't hold any of their stuff save for "Left & Leaving" in the same category as Jtb. Escpecially not "Reconstruction Site" I'm currently studying at an English university in Quebec (ugh), but I'm originally from New-Brunswick. fantastic record, i'd thought it had disappeared into the annals of time Chinatown where in Canada are you from? Anyways in my opinion all three Jtb discs are great. Perfecting Loneliness is a pretty long-winded disc, but for me I love the shit out of it. Same with the other two. Have you HEARD Perfecting Lonliness? Obviously, it doesn't make that much to make your jaw drop Chinatown. Damn. I submitted this review months ago. I thought it got tossed in the trash. Giving this a 10 is a little much. It does drag a little in parts. But as a huge Quicksand fan, I gotta give this band props for getting me through the tough time after they broke up. Also, thinking about JTB makes me have to take a dump. Have you HEARD Perfecting Lonliness? Obviously, it doesn't make that much to make your jaw drop Chinatown. Fuck you both. Jets to Brazil is the best active indie band in the world. Their sound is unrivaled. Blake's lyrics are unmatched. They're the only band that can release a 67 minute album and make every single second jaw-dropping. This score is for making the album sound like the greatest thing ever, and for you pretending to be the most underground person ever ... I mean ... ur like subunderground or something. I didn't think that one through did I? Damn. Jets to Brazils last album was absolute garbage. No joke, this CD is amazing. I'd even say better than Water and Solutions...besides, Jonah is a joke now. I owned this album back in the day, I don't know what I did with it. I'm glad that Chatelain moved on to much greater things shortly after this dreck. i've been really meaning to get this as a fan of helmet, jtb and quicksand. why didn't you mention that the singer Jeremy went on to be the bass player in Jets To Brazil, as well as the main guy in Cub Country? |
