Album review: What Would Jesus Drive – Black and Blue
It’s been a long time coming, but after a series of great EP releases, What Would Jesus Drive have finally released their debut album, ‘Black and Blue’.
Title track ‘Black & Blue’ opens proceedings as it bursts out of the stereo to the sound of sirens with tales of Friday night fights (‘we don’t home without a barny or a ruck/does anybody want to try their luck?’), to a spiky electro punk backdrop. This sets the scene for an album of songs set right in the here and now, reflecting social and urban decay. What Would Jesus Drive might sound like dumb punk rockers as they spit and shout their lyrics, but listen to what they have to say and it doesn’t take a lot to work out these are a sassy bunch; ‘well fuck me/it’s about time someone took offence to what I said’ shouts Amy at the start of Boomtown Twats, referring to the seemingly impossible task of shocking people in these desensitised times in which we live. It’s not all shouty lyrics though, ‘The Leccy’ (that’s electricity if you’re a middle class southerner) is a slow number with Amy singing about being skint that featues a lovely moment when you can just about hear her mutter ‘fuck it’ under her breath.
Elsewhere the singles are all present and correct but for my money it’s the electro pop loveliness of ‘I Think We Rushed Into This’ that takes the best track award. ‘Black & Blue’ is quite short at 32 minutes for 11 tracks, and whilst it’s true that 6 of the 11 tracks here have already been released across the band’s three EPs, most of them have been live versions so I think we can let that slide. Besides they’re great songs! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on eyeseesound
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