Jets to Brazil

Orange Rhyming Dictionary (Jade Tree)
by Tim Den

These guys have an emo-sounding name, are touring with labelmates The Promise Ring, and feature x-members of emo-ish bands (Jawbreaker, Handsome, Texas Is The Reason), so you know I was expecting the usual clean guitar-driven indie rock. Jets to Brazil‘s debut proved my guess wrong by combining ’80s new wave and Matthew Sweet-esque melodies, rather than rehashing the same ol’ Sunny Day Real Estate formulas. While I commend them for trying, I’m sorry to say that the ideas are better than the results.

Orange Rhyming Dictionary is eleven songs of sunshiny, feel-good driving tunes that don’t go anywhere. The vocals are poppy, the mood is cheerful, but it’s nothing beyond that. There’s a lot of double hi-hat (a la U2) and synth samples to give it that alterna-pop feel, but the album never really throws anything of substance to the listener. Every song just sails to the bopping beats for way too long, repeating the verse/chorus/verse/chorus thing over and over again (without adding new sections… not even vocal lines!! It’s the same damn melody on replay the entire time). A couple of tracks, such as “Morning New Disease” and “Lemon Yellow Black,” will probably end up on mixes I make for people. That’s about it though.
(2310 Kennwynn Rd Wilmington, DE 19810)