Review Summary: Come light this candy cigarette...
Jools are the latest in a long line of new English post-punk adjacent acts donning black denim and leather threads to tell their stories of grief, loss, and pain. And while current times provide limitless fodder for anxiety, with their debut
Violent Delights, Jools has made a compelling case for us to care about theirs. At its core,
Violent Delights is a gritty power pop album wearing a trench coat with NOFX and Rancid patches on the back. This punk ethos permeates every facet of the album and adds both an infectious energy to the music as well as a credence to the messages. The album blasts off with the one-two punch of “The Pleasures” and “Limerance,” two anthemic belters that set the tone for the entirety of
Violent Delights with the latter of the two serving as one of the fewer positively charged songs that layers excessively sweet lyricism under its grimy presentation. The inclusion of dual vocalists in Kate Price and Mitch Gordon, while odd at first, works wonderfully as the two reach a nice flow state as the album progresses.
In fact, it’s after the initial back-to-back anthems that
Violent Delights really showcases its addictive post-punk flavored brand of rock. Price and Gordon weave an interesting blend of melodic and amelodic lyrical passages that almost always culminate in a soaring memorable chorus that keeps each song grounded instead of lost in the haze of its own righteous indignation. This formula serves the album highlight “97%” particularly well. As a powerfully written song about violence perpetrated against women, Gordon sounds absolutely disgusted as he lays bare the power dynamics that lead to tragedies like sexual assault. And while the music understandably takes a back seat during the verses, Jools never forgets they’re a rock band and rewards the listener with a chorus equal parts acidic and catchy. It's these types of mature decisions that bode well for the band moving forward. With Price being a newer member of the ensemble, it’s understandable that
Violent Delights’ recipe has the taste of a summer fling that’ll be forgotten as the season changes. Many of the songs have a familiar feel and structure and for a group with 6 members, there’s a noticeable lack in original ideas. The eponymous closer is easily the most musically interesting song on the album and hopefully will serve as a precursor of what’s to come for Jools in the future. In the meantime, let
Violent Delights tell you a sad story, but kiss you on the cheek for listening. You’ll be glad you did.
