I
usually write about Austin bands, but every once in
a while I highlight the music of my beloved
Washington, DC. The year is not even two weeks old
and DC already has its first significant album
release. The city’s best power trio,
The Jet Age,
have just put out Domestic Disturbances. This
marks the third straight rock opera/concept record
from the band. In 2008 they released What Did You
Do During The War, Daddy?, a political album
which the band describes as a "soundtrack to an
imaginary musical." The next year they put out
Love, which was a concept album about adultery,
lust, and love (obviously).
Domestic Disturbances actually seems like a
natural extension of Love. It’s told from the
viewpoint of a husband and the struggles within his
marriage after a former lover enters his life again.
While the storyline may be a bit bleak at times, the
music doesn’t always mirror the depression or anger
of the lyrics. Much of it is upbeat with billowing
rhythms and scorching guitar. The Jet Age's usual
classic rock foundation with a slew of other genres
blended on top is also still in full force. A
perfect example of their varied style is the opening
track, I Am An Agent, which features a fuzzy
guitar solo followed up by a monster drum solo. Each
member of the band is an accomplished musician, but
special mention goes out to the drummer Pete
Nuwayser. The guy is a throwback to the days of John
Bonham and Keith Moon.
Other standout tracks on the record are You Can’t
Turn Around, which features a Fugazi-like funk
bassline and jangly guitars, and Change I Can
Believe In. The latter is a not so subtle
critique of the current President. The concepts of
broken promises and disappointment fit into the rock
opera story arc, but it’s really just a fuck you to
Obama for not fighting more for the causes that so
many of his supporters cherish.
While the songs on Domestic Disturbances are
about a wandering eye and possible adultery, the
album is ultimately a romantics look at the peaks
and valleys that occur in all relationships. The
song progression paints a loving relationship that
begins to falter with the reappearance of a past
girlfriend. Things then almost completely fall
apart, but true love pulls them back together. It
may sound corny, but when you listen to the
conversations, arguments, and pleadings in the
lyrics, you’ll relate to the couple and to their
situation. We’ve all struggled in relationships,
especially in marriages. They don’t always work out
but often times you realize, as the main character
on this album does, that love isn’t in the rear
mirror. It’s usually right in front of you. Anyone
who ever wondered about a past love, even while in a
happy marriage or relationship, can identify with
the themes on this record. We all wonder if the
grass is really greener (usually it’s not).
:The
Jet Age - I Want You:
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