Glorious rock & roll melodrama
In terms of ambition and scope, Jail Weddings will draw innumerable comparisons to such oversized outfits as fellow White Noise Records artists The Arcade Fire, while sonically they are closer to a musical blend of Airborne Toxic Event with a touch of the B-52's outrageous personality. The songs here grasp at glory and revel in heartbreak, loss and disappointment; the outsized malaise is leavened by infection melodies, jubilant playing and tight arrangements. While the musical stylings are overtly derivative (they strive to mimic the best early underground rock & roll, with a generous helping of punk's raw energy thrown in for good measure), the chord progressions are actually far more innovative and complex than the music to which these songs pay homage. For that, thank lead singer and chief songsmith Gabriel Hart.
