Jagged

03/21/2006 | Metropolis Records 

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All Music Guide Review

The sprawling and dark Jagged finds Gary Numan continuing his love affair with all things gothic and industrial, and while many of the tracks are rich, layered, and downright creepy, the album as a whole is tough going, with too many songs sounding the same. The soft-loud-soft-even-louder technique that Nine Inch Nails often employ is beaten to death here and long, eerie intros are the norm. Numan's lyric writing is inspired, mostly by betrayal and heartbreak, and his teaming with multi-instrumentalist Ade Fenton has brought on a new sound for the veteran synth-man, one with landscapes that are sinister and vast. It's mesmerizing for a track or two, then three or for more, and the listener is begging for a melody or something sharp to cut through the muck. Taken in small doses, Jagged works better, if not extremely well, but only the hardcore need to check this wandering and bleak album. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Track Listing

  • Track#
  • Title
  • time
  • 1
  • Pressure
  • 5:19

  • 2
  • Fold
  • 5:47

  • 3
  • Halo
  • 4:17

  • 4
  • Slave
  • 6:02

  • 5
  • In a Dark Place
  • 6:06

  • 6
  • Haunted
  • 5:31

  • 7
  • Blind
  • 7:01

  • 8
  • Before You Hate It
  • 5:14

  • 9
  • Melt
  • 5:18

  • 10
  • Scanner
  • 6:02

  • 11
  • Jagged
  • 5:27

  • 12
  • Fold (Alternative Version)(Alternate Take)(*)
  • 4:44

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    Credits

    • Ade Fenton
    • Drums, Producer, Engineer, Programming, Keyboards
    • Gary Numan
    • Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Mixing, Engineer, Vocals

    Notes

    "Jagged is one of the heaviest and most electronic albums of his career, re-wiring the apocalyptic synthesizer pop of Numan's own 'Down In The Park' into something equally unique and powerful. Like his best albums it gets to the essence of Numan's appeal - a vocal that is alienated yet strangely soulful; a desire to push technology as far as he can and dark, atmospheric sounds lashed to power chords dream-like melodies. Numan also mixes rock elements into the album through the sky-scraping choruses - especially on 'Fold,' 'Haunted' 'Melt' and 'In A Dark Place' - but they're given a new potency through the siren-like wail of machines as well as guitars. And for the first time in 20 years, Numan has re-introduced live drums onto the new album, including two tracks 'Haunted' and 'Halo' played by Jerome Dillon (ex- Nine Inch Nails). Rob Holliday (Sulpher and the Prodigy's new live guitarist) and Monti (Sulpher, former Curve drummer) also guest on Jagged, along with dance producer Andy Gray and Martin McCarrick (ex-Siouxsie & The Banshees) on cello."



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