Jaill – That’s How We Burn

If you haven’t heard JAILL just yet, you should probably stick around for a bit and read this post. Their story is quite an interesting one. Apparently these guys have been making music together since like 2002 or something like that, and if it wasn’t for their efforts before this Sup Pop release we’re talking about today, we probably wouldn’t be talking about this album at all right now. Relatively unknown to many people, Jaill actually had a first full length record before this one from Sub Pop, called “There’s No Sky (Oh My My)”. It was originally released on cassette by Burger Records in California, and then they recently re-released it in much-needed vinyl format. So as the story goes, if it wasn’t for that first record, they probably never would have caught the seasoned ears of the people over at Sub Pop, who in turn made plans to release “That’s How We Burn”, the second full length effort from these Midwestern poppy-psych rockers. Oh yeah, one more thing: they didn’t always have that second “L” in their name.

So for starters, this is quite the addicting release. Each song is unique and has a mind of it’s own, and once you get into some of these songs, it’s going to be really hard to forget them. Sub Pop has a knack for signing bands who are capable of this (see also: Happy Birthday). Lead singer Vincent Kircher takes vocal duties in the band with quite a unique singing voice, and he’s backed by his “rarely sleazy” group of guys Austin Dutmer, Andrew Harris and Ryan Adams who together make up Jaill.

These guys would probably agree that their music takes many different forms at many different times, bringing different genres and sounds to the table from track to track of the LP. At times they sound blissfully poppy (Everyone’s Hip, She’s My Baby), but they can switch it up pretty quickly with a hair-raising psychedelic tinge with face-melting solos and lightning fast drum fills that are undeniably awesome (On the Beat, How’s the Grave). Then there’s a song like “Summer Mess”, which is kind of on it’s own on this LP. It’s a highly enjoyable acoustic number, with a story about attempts to cheer up a friend, and it slowly builds up as the song progresses. An absolutely perfect and uplifting lead guitar comes in about 3/4 of the way through, and it’s a done deal after that. I just wonder if this song wouldn’t be such a “mess” if Kircher wasn’t always getting high and looking for his lighter. Seriously though, the albums called “That’s How We Burn”…and he’s always singing about being high. These guys definitely smoke a good amount of weed.

PS – More songs from the LP on their Myspace

On the Beat –

Summer Mess –

How’s the Grave –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Psychedelic, Pop
That’s How We Burn: Tracklist:
1.) The Stroller
2.) Everyone’s Hip
3.) On the Beat
4.) Thank Us Later
5.) Summer Mess
6.) She’s My Baby
7.) Snake Shakes
8.) Demon
9.) Baby I
10.) How’s the Grave
11.) That’s How We Burn