Album Review

BLK JKS - Mystery EP

I cant tell you how much i wanted to love this album. I wasnt overly impressed with the stuff i had heard from BLK JKS before buying it, but i hadnt really given it a proper listen, and was sure i had missed something (because seriously, these must be the most hyped SA band since, well, ever).

I comfortable with all of the disjointed structureless arrangement, though i dont think it's handled particularly intelligently, but the production is just infuriating. I bought this on vinyl and the pressing wasnt great so i downloaded the digital copies of the songs (free with the vinyl) and even when i concentrated while listening to it on my best headphones, it ended up just sounding like a poorly recorded jam session. The vocals are constantly getting lost behind perpetually crashing cymbals and then reappearing with echo and some more droning white noise. It's impossible to make out any of the instruments, there are snippets of discernible melody, and then just more droning. I'm no sound engineer (where are you Sarah Jarvis?) but this just sounds amateurish, like its being abstract for the sake of being abstract and difficult to listen to, not because it actually adds anything. You know, like a David Lynch movie. That said, when the melodies do emerge, its quite engaging stuff (Summertime didnt make me want to turn the sound down) but not really enough to make me want to listen to it too often.

This is only an EP (that supposedly created some of the hype?) and i'm guessing there will be more variety on the full album, but to be honest, on the strength of this, i wont be rushing to find it.

Frowny face! Disappointed.