Jet - Shine On
All the drama and every hook in the world a record does not make. If Jet’s sophomore album proves anything, it’s just that. Volume and snappy nods to ’70s arena rock cannot obscure empty angst and lazy rhymes. A fat slice of bombast and a few sharp hooks do turn the frayed “That’s All Lies” into a wonderfully blurry mess, during which the Marshall stacks are cranked up so loud, you don’t really care what they’re shouting about. The same applies for “Hey Kids” — all big, dumb chords and Jon Spencer-lifted “Yeah!” squeals. Elsewhere, hipsters would hail the title track, a straightforward strummer for the ladies, if it ever appeared on the Brendan Benson record from which it seems to have sprung. Long story short: You want to root for Jet, but the band just doesn’t give you enough to get behind. Billboard
