Jebediah

When Perth ensemble Jebediah were first unearthed in the mid-90s, emotions were divided over the merits of front man Kevin Mitchell’s rather distinctive vocal style. Nasal, monotonal and (worst of all) often mercilessly drawn-out wails seemed to be the only mode of expression available to the unfortunate lad. To some it was what gave Jebediah’s upbeat and simple rock formula its only truly distinctive element. To others, Mitchell’s adenoidal drawl threatened to generate frightening bouts of irritation-fuelled aggression. But in 2002 even the naysayers have put down their weapons to grudgingly embrace the work Jebediah is offering here. Okay, obviously there will still be resistance to this band from staunch fans of pure pop who find the whole guitar and feedback thing just too -¦ homemade. However, most should find Jebediah an extremely spirited new release, full of catchy, hard driven and good-natured rock -“ with a few dark edges (as on the track Ricochet). As an added bonus, a certain lovable colleague of mine who is also a fan of trance-y hard house begged me to pull the plug on this album while it was being played in the office because it was affecting his chi. I gave Jebediah an extra half star for that one.