Get Born

by

Jet

Edit

Australian group Jet lived up to their name when they sonically swooped onto the music scene with their first full-length CD - "Get Born." The lead-off single - Are You Gonna Be My Girl? - is simply one of the most compelling rock songs in recent memory. Yes, it's highly derivative of earlier rock music, but it's brilliant. How many TV shows, movies, and products immediately used the song in ads? Sure, it burned out from overexposure pretty quickly, but fortunately the CD is filled with equally gripping rock.

The band deftly combines elements of 60s and 70s rock (especially the Stones and the Who) but adds touches of more recent rock for a fresh sound. For example, "Rollover D.J." is reminiscent of Oasis. "Move On" is a mid-tempo song that incorporates an alt-country sound, a la Wilco. "Timothy" is an interesting ballad with lyrics that could have been written by David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust period. "Radio Song" has some nice prog-rock touches that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Radiohead CD. "Lazy Gun" is conceivably the pinnacle of the CD, as it changes tempo and style, weaving all over the place; it also, perhaps tellingly, sounds the least like anybody else. The lyrics, though, seem to sum up Jet's philosophy - Change nothing/ Futures in/ Close the door/ Wear a name/ Be the same/ Take some more.

Jet puts everything together so well that it's almost impossible to dislike this CD. Plus, let's face it, the artists they rip off are by and large past their prime - either disbanded or making musty music. Judged on its own merits, "Get Born" is an exceedingly strong rock record. Of course, Jet now faces the tremendous challenge of following up this CD and standing apart from the other raft of similar retro-rockers, including the Strokes, the Hives, and the Vines. Only time will tell whether the band will establish its own identity or become stale. In the meantime, this CD is highly recommended.

Just when the onslaught of rock revival bands seemed to be dying down, the Australians come marching in. Apparently, The Hives, The Strokes, The White Stripes, and The Vines aren't enough. And despite lacking "The" in the band name, Jet lands smoothly in the already overpopulated genre in nearly all other aspects.

Similar to e=mc² (minus the genius), Get Born is a formula. Take four Aussies (two of which are required to be siblings), inject some traditional rock (creating the foundation), add a little garage punk (to give the mix a bit of an edge), blend in some sloppy production (don't be stingy with the synthesized background clapping), and (of course) name one of the tracks "Take it or Leave It".

Sure, the album brings some pleasurable elements to the table. "Radio Song" is an ironic yet oddly likeable ballad, and the cynically written "Rollover D.J." is sure to turn some heads. "Get Me Outta Here" and "Get What You Need" are sure to please fans of, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", Jet's first single. "Lazy Gun" is a nice departure and "Cold Hard B****" is absolutely irresistible despite the somewhat harsh lyrics.

While Nic Cester's howling on "Look What You've Done", the flawed country ballad "Move On", and a couple short throwaway tracks might initially put off listeners, there are definitely more pros than cons within the album.

The final product? Get Born isn't so much a promising debut as it is a catchy carbon copy. Let's put it this way. If I hear Jet on the radio, I'd turn up the volume. It's not bad at all. To me, it would be senseless to actually buy Get Born because it's a lot easier just to flip through my CD collection at home and pop in Room On Fire, Veni Vidi Vicious, or Get Free. Why buy what I already have?

I'll be interested to see how the band approaches their next album. Who knows? Maybe they're just warming up. For now, however, I'll take a pass on Get Born. Naturally, this is all just my opinion. Take it or leave it.