The Superjesus - Sumo

This is rock band The Superjesus's debut album. It was released in 1998, two years before Jet Age.

However I believe that Jet Age is somehow a glorious outlier in the band's canon, and a more relevant comparison would be with the third album Rock Music.

Regarding the recording quality, I don't often say this but damn there's a lot of bass! So much so that I was quickly reaching for the tone controls to calm it down. Also, I find the guitars have a hollow cheese-cutter sounds and the instruments are somehow smeared together. (In case it matters, it's the remastered "20th Anniversary Edition" that I'm listening to.)

Down Again kicks things off with a post-grunge wall of noise style. This genre doesn't really appeal to me, so it's usually only songs with a catchy chorus that I can get into. And, as picky as this sounds, I wish the drums had stuck with the ride cymbal throughout the chorus, to create a more consistent groove. Sorry.

Then it's one step forwards and one step backwards for Saturation. I like that it's faster and more melody-based than Down Again, but somehow the verse > pre-chorus > chorus transitions don't flow nicely. The chorus itself is quite enjoyable but nothing particularly memorable.

Now & Then goes into more approachable territory by being a ballad, complete with lashings of violins etc. Somehow it reminds me of Safer Emergency. Initially, I was a bit on the fence about this one, but it comes together nicely for the bridge and the song thereafter.

Returning to post-grunge land for Ashes, unfortunately I find that the verses are indistinct, perhaps because the vocals get lost in the mix. But two characteristics elevate Ashes to greatness: the solid guitar riff and outstanding chorus. Sadly, this isn't the case for I'm Stained and Honeyriver, which feel aimless to me since the genre really isn't my cup of tea.

Shut My Eyes has a wonderful snappy feel to it, and special mention to the chorus for inciting a special kind of angry inspiration. The bridge is a bit of a downer, but the climax of the outtro more than makes up for it.

And we're done here. To save me whingeing any more, I'll wrap things up now.

...Except, the 20th Anniversary Edition contains a cover of Kylie Minogue's Confide in Me, which is an extremely left-field inclusion. I appreciate it very much. The verses establish and wonderfully sparse industrial feel of the verses. And the chorus? "Con-fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiideeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin meeeeeeeeeeeeeee"... hell yeah!

 

Favourite songs

Now & Then, Ashes, Shut My Eyes, Confide in Me

I diggit?

Sumo has its moments, but I think that it's (sort of) successor Rock Music is a better polished version of much the same thing.