Jacuzzi Boys – Glazin’

Rating:

Jacuzzi Boys first appeared back in 2008, when they released an EP that presented their garage rock style and followed this with their debut album, No Seasons, in 2009. Now, two years later, they are back with Glazin’, their true sophomore effort, which is chock full of garage rock noises, such as buzzing guitars and wild percussion.

The first track, “Vizcaya,” is a short and sweet introduction to the bands sound. At roughly two minutes, you just get enough of Jacuzzi Boys to know where they are headed on this album. The vocals are sharp and twangy, shuffled amidst the buzz of the guitar and the furious pacing of the song.  For a song with so much crammed into it, it’s a great thing that it’s so short, because it quits itself before the song becomes overwhelming. Such is not the case for third, and title track, “Glazin.’” Even upon first listen, you can feel the repetition of at the end, which is definitely a sign that it has gone on for too long, and it’s easy to seek it out on repeated listens.

This is a bit of the precursor for the rest of Glazin’ in its entirety. There are some songs that really standout as the album comes to its close, but the majority of the tracks in the middle all sort of mesh together into a big ball of garage rock, which by no means is a bad thing, but it isn’t an album made for active listening. The songs are short enough that they jump quickly from one to the other, but this also makes it difficult to discern the differences between songs; those little nuances that are supposed to come with variation. The result is that the repeated sound fails to hold the attention of its listeners, but if there’s one thing I could advise you, it’s to stick around for the end, in which Jacuzzi Boys bring back the variety.

The last two songs, “Los Angeles” and “Koo Koo With You,” both showcase the best of the garage rock sound as well as a different side of the band. The second to last track is one of the most intriguing all out jams on the album. You have the trademark sound, but some gang vocals jump in and will have you grooving along. Then Jacuzzi Boys switch things up at the end, with the catchy last, and acoustic-y, number. Gone are the buzzy guitars, for the most part, and present is a softer touch to this album, which, albeit, might have been better placed somewhere in the midst of the rock as opposed to at the end.

If you’re a hardcore lover of garage rock in any form, then Glazin’ should be a real treat for you. If not, then you should be able to find some tracks that may tempt your fancy on this casual effort.