Get Born

And Finally, Someone Played Rock & Roll
by: clint poole

During a time when studio executives and artists are more focused on image making than musical expression, to hear a raw, honest rock album like Jet's debut Get Born, is utterly refreshing. True, the album is imperfect in delivery and form, but its artistic ambition and drive can be felt in every chord. Brash, brazen and unapologetic, the young Aussies' music is truly a reflection of the boy's playing it.

Although the lead track "Are You Gonna' Be My Girl" has, unfortunately, already been commercialized by iPod (thank you very little Mr. Jobs), it remains one of the most kick-ass songs to reach the airwaves this year. The rest of the album's tracks fail to reach that songs level of perfection, but deliver well enough.

The album makes a daring attempt at power-ballads, with some actually coming off well; both "Timothy" and "Come Around Again" walk the fine line between subtlety and boredom. Alas, it's this ambitious attempt at rock glory that restrains the album's ability to perform. The overabundance of ballads on a 13 track album overshadows the true rock songs. While sweet and bone-baringly honest, they fall a little short of the Zeppelin or Aerosmith classics.

Perhaps Get Born can be viewed an indication of greatness to come. As the album itself is hampered by its own ambition, and spares only a few good tracks. 29-Dec-2003 10:41 PM