Jebediah

On Of Someday Shambles, Jebediah makes noisy emo-pop that, for the most part, indulges the sweet tooth of younger kids still aiming to assert some type of aggression. The songwriting, though not the strongest suit for these four youngsters, comes across as sophomoric but isn't entirely bad, as some of the changes take unpredictable twists and turns. The biggest problem that Jebediah faces is that they occasionally fall prey to certain Green Dayisms. Structurally, they strike a chord and a drum, and the three beats in between are given to the guitarist to illustrate his rather tepid chops. The nasally vocals are also damagingly pedestrian and taste rather stale at this point. Somehow, the attempted fullness of the vocals is at least a worthy effort from vocalist/guitarist Kevin Mitchell. As well, they provide some decent pop guitar work on tracks like "Star Machine" and "Please Leave," which at first recalls the Fall's Mark E. Smith as it emulates the best of the post-punk era. It's too bad that kids who grew up in the '90s had so little to grouse about. Despite their obvious attempts to subvert the traditional Backstreet Boys-type popularity, Jebediah, if anything, is destined for mainstream radio alongside Silverchair, At the Drive In, and other bands who occasionally forget to take their temper pills. Certainly nothing revolutionary takes place on Shambles, but it'll keep kids looking a little deeper for music that travels slightly under the big-label radar. ~ Ken Taylor, Rovi