Bodyjar- Plastic Skies

Bodyjar's fifth album is Plastic Skies. It was released in 2002, a few years after the compilation Singles and Stuff.

(By the way, yes, my genre labels on this blog are broad enough that this punk rock album can share a pigeonhole with The Cat Empire!)

With an album as un-varied as this (not a criticism), subtle differences in songs become highly magnified. I've found it interesting and challenging to try to find differences between the songs I like and those which leave me cold. Is It a Lie and Underwater are prime examples. Both are fast-paced angsty songs. But while Is It a Lie features a great catchy chorus, the rest of the song doesn't appeal to me at all. Yet Underwater is punk-rock goodness from start to finish. What's the difference? I don't know! Similarly, whatever makes Not From Where I Stand, So Negative, Make a Difference and Emmaline just "solid" songs in my eyes, is a complete mystery to me.

One thing I can say with certainty is that I like my Bodyjar to be fast. Therefore Tortured Life and Dry Gin are songs I'd rather skip.

The recording quality is also quite poor. There is almost no "thump" from the kick-drum and the bass guitar also lacks bottom-end punch. Even worse is that many of the songs have a strange muddy/distorted edge at high frequency, sounding a bit like poor compression.

While Don't Trust Anyone is a bit "emo" (sorry!), it features a very nice pre-chorus and chorus. Feel Better is also outstanding in these sections, and features nice crunchy guitar work in the verses, therefore combining to make a great song from start to finish. Too Drunk to Drive's inclusion of Adalita from Magic Dirt is a masterstroke. Normally I don't dig duet's, but somehow this punk duet works a treat. Soaring guitar parts are also a highlight of this song.

Favourite songs

One in a Million, Too Drunk to Drive, Underwater, Feel Better

Worthwhile?

To be honest, whenever I'm in a Bodyjar mood, I'll probably reach for Singles and Stuff instead. There's a couple of songs that make this album enjoyable, but in the end I'm gonna go with "I like your old stuff better than your new stuff".