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{ True Madness Magazine }
Music Reviews
JamisonParker, Notes and Photographs EP
Interscope, 2003
By James Eddy
Perhaps this is just a sign of me being overly jaded, but I am coming to notice that less and less often to have anything unique to say about bands I am handed. The newest group to come knocking on the TMM door is the JamisonParker, a jumpy-and-free duo with some nice production tricks thanks to Interscopes’ fat checkbook. The funny thing about this “group” is that while the songs are radio-friendly as all get out, the lyrical content is downtrodden enough to make the Cure blush. The final track on the 5-track dance-fest, titled “Dear Everybody,” plays out like a suicide note put to melody, though it is probably the lightest sounding of the tracks. And no, I’m not even exaggerating; “Dear everybody or whoever’s listening/I think I’m gonna do me in this time/This is so overrated, waiting in my room again/This is the end of my so-called life.” To put it bluntly, it looks like someone thought that manic-depressants deserved their own answer to the All-American Rejects.
The funny thing is that there is no real wit to be seen anywhere. This is another example of a band with “lush melodies” complemented by “meaningful and personal lyrics.” In other words, this is what people make fun of emo for. It’s bitter and pissy and depressed, and in the end really overdone. There is no way that a pair of kids who got signed to a multi-million dollar record company can have such completely miserable lives. Musically, these kids have it all together if they want to get in the top ten; the orchestration is pretty textbook, but still well done. Imagine what happened to Dashboard after the band stepped in, and you’re halfway there to what JamisonParker is all about. Now add the fact that their lyrical style (which is really what this kinda music is all about, right?) is so “woe is me” that you end up resenting them more than sympathizing. Here’s the bottom line” although well-made, this record isn’t anything must have, and for your bucks there’s much better out there.
RATING: 1.5 out of 5
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