Wednesday, January 25, 2012

REVIEW: The Jet Age - Domestic Disturbances


We recently had a big (for Seattle) winter storm, and a number of homes in the region lost power. I was not so unfortunate. But I think that if I had lost electrical service, I could have run most of my appliances off of Domestic Disturbances, the new LP from Washington, DC's The Jet Age. These guys put the power in power trio in all twelve tracks. Sure, you will find melody, hooks, a bit of jangle, and a few gentler lyrics. But the core of this album is big, chunky riffs, booming bass, vocals stretched to almost breaking and a drummer that tempts the listener to think this is a quartet with two guys working the percussion end.



The Jet Age is Eric Tischler (guitars, vocals, keyboards), Pete Nuwayser (drums), and Greg Bennett (bass). Eric wrote Domestic Disturbances as a rock opera around the (imagined) consequences of relationships and conflicts with his spouse and two other women. The result on the thematic level are songs packed with emotional imagery. However, the performances are upbeat and entertaining. Most striking to me is the fluidity of this band. The songs leave plenty of room for each of the instruments, and the vocals, to stand out with complementary, but never competing, contributions from the other components. The result is a sound that is clean honest, with hints of structure from '60s and '70s arena rock without losing intimacy. It is a tough balance, but The Jet Age pulls is off with a swagger.

Domestic Disturbances was released earlier this month on Sonic Boomerang Records. You can buy the album from the Bandcamp link as well.

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