Jaill - That's How We Burn

"And I'm sure I ain't got a clue"

Because I can be a snob I was ready to write this band off due to the addition of that extra letter at the end of the band name. That's stupid, right? OBVIOUSLY. It's especially stupid because this record is damn good. Jaill is a band that doesn't ever take itself too seriously and that's a pretty refreshing thing as of late. The music is straight forward guitar-driven indie rock that is wonderfully poppy, playful and fun. The lyrics are light and equally as fun ("Sh-Sh-Sh-She's my baby" "Anybody got a light?") and singer Vincent Kircher lazily shouts them at you like an excited stoner telling you a really great story. I guess I'd call it ambivalent urgency... ? Slacker excitement... ? I guess all that could sound like a bad thing, but it definitely works here.

The songs tend to stick to the same formula which can make the album seem a bit redundant, however, if you're complaining about pop rock songs all sounding the same you're missing the point. The point, you ask? To get you singing every word and pounding on your steering wheel while you speed down the road. Jaill isn't really breaking any new ground here but they've managed to place their own unique stamp on a sound that is so often copied and repackaged without a hint of new feeling. It seems this band is only going up from here and it'll be fun seeing what comes next.

That's How We Burn was released on July 27th on Sub Pop. Watch the video for the album opener "The Stroller" below and head to jaill.net to check out "Everyone's Hip".

Jaill - The Stroller from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.