On their latest album, With A Cape And A Cane, the Joggers have a made a huge leap forward. Though it may not sound as polished as 2003’s “Solid Guild”, this time around the band seems to have truly found the thing that makes them tick - good old guitar-driven rock n’ roll. And like some of the greatest rock n’ rollers, the Joggers aren’t afraid to throw a lot of ingredients into their own musical stew.
Right off the bat, the opening track “Ziggurat” finds the band exploring their new stripped down approach to making music. Aided by an eastern-flavored sitar sound, the song explodes with the raw fury of Benjamin Whiteside’s lead vocals. Whether he’s belting out punk rants or slipping into Mick Jagger’s lazy drawl, his voice stays strong and focused throughout.
The Joggers are a young band who already have dramatic happenings to write about. Benjamin Whiteside had a breakdown and subsequently, did some serious soul-searching in order to decide if the music thing was really something he could continue to pursue. Since, I’m writing this review, he obviously decided to stick around and the track “Night of the Horsepills” is one of those songs that is probably more than a little personal. Even if its lyrics are not the gospel truth word for word, when Whiteside sings, almost through a musical haze, about carrying on “with a cape and a cane / and my frail strength”, there’s an underlying feeling that rings true.
Going personal though and exploring their inner demons is something the band isn’t completely with yet because a few of the tracks seem to lack the energy that sustains most of the album. “Yawning Brahmins” and “Since You’re Already Up” come off as studio exercises instead of fully realized songs. There’s no spark here and when you have an album that’s for the most part tight and well-paced, any so-called “filler” tracks can really suck the life out of an album.
With A Cape And A Cane is a big step in a bold new direction for the Joggers. They’ve created a loud sloppy album hurtling at lightning speed down a track to somewhere. Where exactly this band ends up, only time will tell - but it’s sure to be one hell of a ride! |