Harmony Avenue
Merge, 2020
8/10
An outfit spearheaded by Jonah Falco and Mike Hallechuk of hardcore giants Fucked Up, this debut album as Jade Hairpins reels in plenty of post-punk influences as they flirt with pop amid brilliantly crafted analog acoustic and electronic manipulation.
After an almost gospel opening of “J Terrapin”, the band burst into buzzing garage-rock that's not short on driving guitars and bright keys, and “(Don't Break My) Devotion” follows with some spacey ideas alongside '80s post-punk stabs that rub elbows with dance-rock, too.
Deeper cuts like “Post No Bill” tip their hat to the early days of alt-rock, when things bordered on weird, while the jagged “Dolly Dream” brings plenty of pop appeal via the contagious melodies and punk spirit. Near the end, the electro-pop influences are largely present on the New Order nods of “Truth Like A Mirage” as well as the album closer, the “Motherman”, where their inventive synth-pop is as quirky as it is charming.
Certainly a less abrasive effort than their work in Fucked Up, Jade Hairpins is no less exciting, and is absolutely a side project worth a listen for fans of LCD Soundsystem, Scritti Politti or Talking Heads.
Travels well with: Sneaks- Highway Hypnosis; Sweet Spirit- Trinidad