The Jealous Sound

The Jealous Sound (2000)

Painaxl

The Jealous Sound is the new (well, not really anymore) band for Blair Shehan, lead singer/guitarist of Knapsack. Knapsack was one of my favorite bands, but also it was another band that I discovered too late. When I bought their last, great album, they had already broken up. Luckily, Blair has given me (and I'm sure many other fans) a second chance. The Jealous Sound's 5-song EP is nothing short of spectacular. Blair's distinct and intensely emotional vocal style shines over 5 very excellent, yet different songs. Kicking off with "What's Wrong is Everywhere," the CD starts off with a bang. Once the verse sets in though, there's a substantial dynamic change that reverberates throughtout the entire song. A great opener that retains some of Knapsack's sonic edge. "Priceless," which is probably my favorite song on the album, isn't as hard, and focuses on Blair's vocals to carry the weight of the song. While the vocal melody is simple, it's still strong enough to do just that. "Bitter Strings" is another song that's more reserved than what some Knapsack fans may be used to. This one may be the weakest spot on the disc, but it's still a solid song. "Quiet Life" goes in a direction similar to some songs on This Conversation… where the band used some unexpected instruments, in this case a piano, to provide a lift for a song. This song seems like another ordinary pop song at first, but is surprisingly deeper upon another listen. "Anxious Arms" caps the CD with a track that's very similar to Knapsack. A bouncy yet dark, emotional rock song. On their self-titled debut, the Jealous Sound managed to whet my appetite for the many, many things this band is capable of. With a new full-length due in April, I can wait to hear more.