Jackpot! J. Robbins and crew take it two steps further with the release of Identikit. Keeping things fresh and new, the album is chock full of innovative and rocking sounds. No one can accuse Burning Airlines of rehashing the Jawbox sound that's for sure.
Robbins really steps it up in the vocal department with this release. Putting more effort into the singing and trying some new things, his voice really shines on tracks like "Morricone Dancehall," where Robbins delivers the verses in rap-like fashion. "The Deluxe War Baby," a song which originally appeared on the band's split with At The Drive-In, and "Blind Trial" which drips with attitude in the first few lines alone. There are an abundance of great melodies found here.
Musically this release finds Burning Airlines at their catchiest yet! Identikit features plenty of tasteful guitar hooks and chord progressions. The bass, handled by newcomer Mike Harbin, who has done time as a Jawbox roadie and played bass in Shiner for a short period, holds down a constant repeating groove in some songs while various guitar parts weave in and out of the mix. Listen to "Song With No Words" and "Tastykake" for fine examples of this.
The production on this album is also a step above Mission:Control (the band's debut release). All the sounds captured on this album are superb. The drums sound nice and punchy, especially in the opening track, "Outside of the Aviary," which features a little double bass action from Pete Mofett. Some songs are even accented by some experimentation with electronic sounds.
Identikit really surprised me. I was already a fan of Burning Airlines' music, and anyone who knows me or talks music with me knows what a huge Jawbox fan I am. But this album really surpassed my expectations and dare I say, almost made the Jawbox break up necessary... I said almost! I highly recommend this album. If you are a fan of J. Robbins' previous work, or like the Pixies or any other innovative rock, pick this up immediately! Identikit is easily one of the best releases of 2001.
A+
