THE JEZABELS – PRISONER
The Jezabels have jokingly described their brand of rock music as “intensindie” on their Facebook fan page. A more elaborate description might be a mixture of U2’s glittery grandiosity with The Cure’s melodious gothic rock, with a whiff of Karen O’s earthy vocal style in singer Hayley Mary. Prisoner is the anxiously-awaited full length debut from the Sydney foursome following a successful series of singles and EPs. The album begins promisingly with the sound of a bombastic church organ before travelling through a soundscape of bubbling synthesizer and virtuosic drumming on the title track. The following tune, lead single Endless Summer, has a glorious chorus on par with the best pre-album Jezabels releases such as Hurt Me and Mace Spray. However, as soon as The Jezabels have established their signature sound they make little attempt to deviate from it. By the time we reach mid-album track City Girl, the stadium-rousing euphoria has run its course. The aggressively militant drum figure in Nobody Nowhere helps to break the mould, as does the synthy ambience of Piece of Mind. Fans of their previous work certainly won’t be disappointed, and appreciators of The Killers and Arcade Fire will most likely find something to love here. But ultimately, Prisoner is a classic example of a band taking a certain sound – albeit a definitive one – and flogging it for all it’s worth.
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