Jakobinarina - The First Crusade (Regal)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
What pop cultural references immediately come to mind when you think of Iceland? There might not be a huge and readily available inventory, but apparently there is an immensely popular kids' TV show over there called 'Lazy Town.' Well, if there's one thing you could not accuse these youngsters from the outskirts of Reykjavík of being, it's lethargic.
An angry, defiant barrage of speedball punk, their debut LP 'The First Crusade' wears its suburban adolescent angst loud n' proud, crammed full of breakneck, hankering indie-pop that' owes as much to the likes of The Wedding Present and The Fall as well a particularly incensed breed of 80s punk rock.
It's time-honoured teen angst that Jakobinarina revel in. 'Monday I'm In Vain' utilizes that most timeless of lyrical devices, a celebration of the weekend/damnation of the daily grind, whilst the adolescent escapism of 'Sleeping in Seattle' works similarly, although singer Gunnar Ragnarsson's admission that 'I shouldn't play CM all day long' , quite possibly represents the pop world's first direct reference to the fiendishly addictive qualities of Championship Manager.
'WE WILL EVEN CHANGE OUR NAME TO THE COCA COLA BAND, JUST TO GET OUT POCKETS FILLED!' yelps Ragnarsson on 'This Is An Advertisment', channelling the satirical sprit of the Dead Kennedy's Jello Biafra, whilst the fizzy synth-rock of 'Jesus' and the whirlwind intensity of 'Call For Advice' are perky, contagious romps.
For anyone who can remember the irksome tribulations of youth, 'The First Crusade' will strike a peeved chord.
Stream three tracks from 'The First Crusade' HERE
Artists in this article: Jakobinarina
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment