It’s been a while since alternative-rock brothers Jim and William Reid have graced us with a new album from The Jesus and Mary Chain, but their sparkling new record Glasgow Eyes honourably debuted on the UK chart at no. 7 in late March. Jim Reid said to Rolling Stone that the album, whose name pays homage to both the brothers’ roots and where they recorded the tracks, is “certainly” what people expect of a JAMC record; the explicit lyrics and dark-punk feel definitely carries the band’s musical branding. However, the album is incredibly synth heavy; it sounds as if an alien invaded the studio and stayed to fully rock out.
Due to the exorbitant albeit impressive synth work, the first half of the album is rather lacklustre in terms of sound and lacks the usual sonic landscape the band tends to impress with. There is clear Bowie and Pink Floyd influence on experimental tracks like ‘Venal Joy’ and ‘Mediterranean X Film’. Tracks ‘Jamcod’ and ‘Discoteque’ had such potential with their use of guitar and intense feedback, but they struggle to round themselves out.
Despite the rocky start, the album really takes off from track six, ‘Pure Poor’. There is an immediate embrace of the necessary classic rock feel and techno, Bloc Party-esque sounds. There is a turn from this point where the music itself, set apart from the typical and inky lyrics, becomes really dark and interesting; the song ‘Chemical Animal’ feels as if you’re sitting drunk in a dark corner, being existential and moody and, although I doubt this was intentional, it’s perfect. The later track ‘Silver Strings’ is an anomaly from its peers, and it feels as if it should be in the first half of the album. Although there is an interesting use of timing and some eerie whispering, there is complete lack of build and the track is generally tiring to listen to.
The standouts from this wacky and mysterious record are the brighter tunes. ‘The Eagles and the Beatles’ and ‘Girl 71’ are catchy and somewhat corny tracks that stand out from the darkness and pay homage to lots of important musical influences. The former by literally naming acts like Bob Dylan and the Beatles, with the latter being reminiscent of the Stones’ sound, specifically their newer releases off Hackney Diamonds (the Rolling Stones are also referred to in “The Eagles and the Beatles”). ‘Second of June’, is another bright track, but contrastingly carries the darker lyrics incredibly well; it’s a beautiful blend of the two sounds.
‘Hey Lou Reid’ received a lot of flack, with extra pressure on the song as the last track on the album; the Guardian saying it “fancies itself as an epic but instead just feels like an extraordinarily slow six minutes.” I’ll agree that the track does start to slip back into the wary, empty sound of the album’s start, but it fills itself out with whispered and constructed vocals that create an almost celestial landscape. Arguably the band’s biggest tune ‘Just Like Honey’ feels similar, so we know that it’s a sound the JAMC can do well. Being a little lacklustre acts in the song’s favour as it rounds out the album and tries its best to make sense of the first half.
Glasgow Eyes is an honour to the Reid brothers’ classic alternative sound, and promises more experimental and hopefully more successful synth-leading tracks. It really starts to come into its own towards the end, as both we and the band start to understand where the record should truly be taking us. The album is the band’s first since 2017’s Damage and Joy and marks their 40th anniversary, it’s a celebratory and steady album enriched with their usual glam-rock and darker influences. Glasgow Eyes will not be for everyone, but I’m sure those that enjoy it will take real pride in its experimental sound and homage to what we remember as the vivid and classic The Jesus and Mary chain.
6/10