Jet Black Stare - In This Life Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 07.28.2008
Canadian rockers Jet Black Stare are looking to make an impact with their debut album. With a strong single, "Ready To Roll," can In This Life be a potential chart-topper for the fivesome?
The Band
Rod Black-Lead Vocals
Flip-Guitar, Vocals
Dave Muselman- Guitar, Vocals
Shane Hayes-Bass, Vocals
Dan Swinimer-Drums, Vocals
The Track Listing
1. Ready To Roll-3:11
2. I’m Breathing-3:52
3. In This Life-3:44
4. Every Moment-3:51
5. It’s Over-3:20
6. Rearview Mirror-3:31
7. Fly-3:41
8. I Won’t Let Go-3:18
9. Poster Princess-3:08
10. The River-3:11
11. Next To Me-3:38
The Review
Jet Black Stare is part of the Canadian rock scene, the same one that has churned out such beloved bands like Nickelback, Our Lady Peace, and Three Days Grace. All of these bands have made an impact on mainstream radio, television, and everywhere in between. Jet Black Stare, formed by singer/songwriter Rod Black last year, is looking to dip their feet into the same success these bands have had with their debut album In This Life. The sound is there, one that will be instantly recognizable to anybody who has turned to a rock radio station in the last three years. In This Life is a debut album that at times impresses, and at other times, shows the generic and bland qualities that is sweeping mainstream rock music today.
The first single “Ready To Roll” is a high-octane, powerhouse of a hard rock track that brings the intensity early on to In This Life. The band sounds top-notch, with Black taking control with a gritty vocal performance and a solid solo rounding the track up. For those who have heard it, you might assume that the rest of the album is as fast-paced as “Ready To Roll.” Like Rev. Theory’s recent album Light It Up, the album takes a swerve off the beaten path after the upbeat opening rocker.
The majority of In This Life is in the vein of mid-tempo to slow tracks, with a heavy emphasis on acoustic guitars, melody, and emotional vocals. On the first half of the album, the slow tracks can boggle down the album a bit, as they sound similar to each other, with only a piano brought in to differentiate the song. “I’m Breathing” is the only track that leaves any impact with the listener, as Black sings compassionately about flat-lining when he was 19 after a severe car crash and being pronounced dead for a period of time.
Unlike most modern rock albums, the second half of In This Life is stronger than the first half, as the band experiments slightly with their sound and the band turns the volume back up. While closing ballad “Next To Me” ends the album more with a wimper than a bang, Jet Black Stare shows that a ballad can have some life to it with “Fly” and “The River.” The former has a bluesy ting to it that is highlighted by Black’s gentle vocals while the latter has a slow-burning feel to it, augmented by a fantastic melodic solo near the end.
“It’s Over” and “Poster Princess” are the only two songs where Jet Black Stare turns the heat up, with mixed results. The songs are your standard commercial-friendly hard rock tracks, one that wouldn’t sound out place from any modern rock band. I will have to say though, that while the tracks themselves aren’t anything special, both of them have powerful endings, where the energy seems to suddenly increase out of nowhere. For those brief 10-15 seconds, it’s like a new band has come into the studio to finish the track. If Jet Black Stare can take that energy and apply it to the whole track, they could be looking at a solid collection of rockers on their next album.
Jet Black Stare is definitely Rod Black’s band, with all of the tracks written by him and producer Jeff Johnson, with some outside help here and there. The rest of the band members don’t fall too out of place and hardly get a chance to let loose, with the exception of a few solos here and there. Hopefully, Black will allow for a more band-oriented experience on the sophomore album.
In This Life is a showcase of the enormous potential that Jet Black Stare has. I think the band needs to work a little harder to experiment with their sound a bit, in order to stand out more in a crowded field. The comparisons to Nickelback are justified (having Nickelback drummer Daniel Alder play on a few tracks doesn’t help matters). To get out of that ever-present shadow, Jet Black Stare has to find a way to craft an album that will appeal to mainstream listeners, yet won’t sound insipid and forced. For a debut album, In This Life has a lot to offer rock fans that don’t mind a more tuneful sound, but don’t expect an album full of the same type of pulse-pounding excitement brought about by single “Ready To Roll.”
The 411: In This Life is a decent rock album that starts off strong, sputters a bit in the middle, but finishes strong with a solid row of tracks. Don't be fooled by the opening single "Ready To Roll" though; the rest of the album isn't as heavy or fast-paced. The band seems to be more comfortable with the melodic tracks, based on the ratio of heavy to soft tracks. For a debut album, In This Life has a lot to offer, but the band has to work a bit to better stand out in a crowded rock field.
