ARTIST: Jawbox
TITLE: Novelty
YEAR RELEASED: 1992
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: Static, Cutoff
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Dischord Records junkies do
LINEUP: J. Robbins, Kim Colletta, Bill Barbot, Adam Wade.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Adding a guitarist opens up their sound, and they quickly become one of the better Dischord acts.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: The first Jawbox releases seemed a bit claustrophobic and same-same, but when the band added Bill Barbot on guitar and backing vocals, their sound opened up, and gained textures and vibrance that they didn’t have originally.
J. Robbins’ voice still carries through the album, but there’s more diversity in sound and style, and in “Static”, one of the better uses of the quiet-loud trope. Adding Barbot made the riffs more menacing at times (in “Cutoff”, especially).
There’s still an issue with sequencing, as “Static” was placed in the back half of the album behind some songs which blur together. Still, an improvement for sure.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Bill Barbot is a Facebook friend of mine (a good friend of my best friend and I’ve had conversations with him at conferences and what not), but that hasn’t affected this review.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: No.
GRADE: B+: They moved to near the top of the Dischord roster – and would be prime for moving up to a major label (which they did).