Boy vs girl indie pop laden vocals died in the late nineties with bands like Bis but recently there’s been a resurgence as with acts like the Ting Tings, making bratty pop all the rage once more. What Would Jesus Drive, however, add their own tinge of pop punk to the fray.
The band released their latest EP, Fragile Mansions, this month just ahead of their album release Black & Blue, out in March. EP title track “Fragile Mansions” is the strongest of the four tracks here with a hard chorus and epic indie rock melody. All of Jesus’ lyrics are tongue in cheek, poking fun and ask you to pay attention.
After “Fragile Mansions” much of the EP follows in the same vein with spiky riffs and shouty lyrics. There’s no better example of this than on the track “Dirty Old Week”. “Watching Girls Fighting” is perhaps the weakest of the four tracks with the song sounding much like an amalgamation of the first two. The EP ends with a slight change of pace, a sweeter female vocal backed by that thick, prominent WWJD bass line we’ve become accustomed to. The track feels like we’re building towards something but never quite get there. Perhaps we’re not meant to but it is a calmer end to this hectic, energy-filled EP.
Although this isn’t the most innovative sound around, What Would Jesus Drive manage to do what they do well. They’re not as poppy as the aforementioned Ting Tings but their not as heavier as their “proper” rock counterparts. With the album out soon, this will probably be the best way to hear what the band are really capable of.
Rating: 3/5
