It’s been 14 years since Gene Loves Jezebel last put out a record, but by the third track on their latest effort, the fantastically maudlin “How Do You Say Goodbye (To Someone You Love),” the band proves they are still relevant.
The song, like many others here sound like classic post punk Gene Loves Jezebel of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
The album’s opening track, “Charmed Life (Never Give In)” with keyboards up front and the vocals almost autotuned beyond recognition, didn’t bode well for what lay ahead, but just about every track after finds the band back in peak form.
Led by Jay Aston, (his twin brother Michael fronted a competing Gene Loves Jezebel), the band still includes longtime guitarist James Stevenson, drummer Chris bell and bassist Pete Rizzo and that’s likely one of the reasons for the cohesive sound here. There is no obvious desire to keep reinventing the music, rather the foursome stick to the same, infectious mix of goth, rock and pop that made 1986’s Discover and 1989’s Kiss of Life, such great records. Songs like “Izitme” and “Ain’t It Enough” could have easily come off either of those albums.
Dance Underwater was crowdfunded showing there was still an appetite out there for the band. And the resulting album, save for one or two tracks, proves the band still had plenty left to say.
Gene Loves Jezebel – Dance Underwater/10 tracks/Restricted Release & Westworld/2017