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Album Review
by SashaS
9-1-2003
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| Jesse Malin's fine art of song-crafting |
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Jesse Malin: 'The Fine Art Of Self-Destruction'
(One Little Indian)
Rewind #7: Jesse Malin is AltCountry’s new boy
Standing in a foreground of an underpass with its perspective spoilt by a black-hooded figure (priest? Mr Death? His dark-self?) or it is just an amp’n’speaker combo sideways, Jesse Malin looks at you from the cover as if inviting you to descend to subways of his feelings… Or, looking out for a way to get into your world? In any case, it’s worth getting to know this man who’s been trying to get public’s attention for about a decade.
‘The Fine Art Of Self-Destruction’ is a collection of songs that are collectively named with a certain air of fatality about but don’t worry – this is not a misserabilistic disc. If anything, it is realistic, pointing to things we get up during the short period we call l.i.f.e. Production by Ryan Adams, and bass-goddess on four-strings and backing vocals, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins and Hole, Melissa Auf der Maur helped this to become an emo-impressive debut of AltCountry cluster.
On the way to this album (only released in the States at the end of Jan.) Malin covered ‘Questioningly’ for the Ramones tribute album ‘The Song Ramones The Same’, scored soundtracks for various major movies and even had a cameo in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Bringing Out The Dead’ during the 10 years he invested in a series of obscure New York punk pop outfits (D-Generation, Bellvue) that didn’t really turn him embittered and cynical. (Well, not completely.)
Malin still retains plenty of blue-collar grime in folk and country-tinged tunes that are melodic, deft and emotive in a serious musical manner. Influence of Neil Young’s ‘Gold’ and a touch of Bruce Springsteen are obvious but he often transcends it to deliver gems like rocking ‘Wendy’, hi-rolling ‘High Lonesome’ or the stunning vocal performance on ballady ‘Solitaire’. The opening ‘Queen Of The Underworld’ observes, “On the highway of perfection/ We only wanted to be free…”
This type of ‘Americana’ singer-songwriter is like the mythical lonesome cowboy who rides into town, sorts out the trouble and rides away into the sunset; Jesse Malin shows promise of being one of the best ‘draws’. Without a trace of ‘Lucky Luke’…
8/10
SashaS
9-1-2003
Jesse Malin’s ‘The Fine Art Of Self-Destruction’ was released 28 October 2002 by One Little Indian
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