“Albums Of 2007: Number 4” Album Review: Jetplane Landing - Backlash Cop

On first listen Backlash Cop surprised me, I guess it surprised anyone whowas a JPL fan, it just had a completely different feel to their previous two efforts, 2001's Zero For Conduct and 2003's Once Like A Spark. The sound was still the same, Andrew Ferris' talking/rapping/singing vocals, the shredding guitar riffs and driving rhythm but this time it felt funky.

It was only after a month or two of constantly repeated listens that I realised the difference, this is Jetplane Landing's most comfortable record. This is what they been striving to sound like for six years and that's why its sounds so natural and organic.

It's basically a concept album, pinpointing a number of hugely influential people in the band's lives, Dizzy Gillespie, Les Savy Fav, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix to name just a few. It is funky in places but that seems to fit and there's still enough rock-out riffs for the old fans.

The spoken-word number Us And The Ringside Stars would sound out of place on any other album but this is an album of experimentation and vision and its sits perfectly in the fierce, intelligent, 35 minute journey

© Fun Fun Fun 2008