CD REVIEW: THE SUPERJESUS – Love and Violence EP

Shane | 4 October 2016 | Reply

CD REVIEW: THE SUPERJESUS – Love and Violence EP
Golden Robot Records
5 August, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

Confidence has never seemed lacking in Sarah McLeod, and on Superjesus’ first release in over a decade, it’s practically bursting through the seams. For good reason too: Love and Violence is as good a record as they have ever made – perhaps even better than chart busters Sumo and The Jet Age from 1998 and 2000.

A year or so ago The Superjesus seemed unfocussed and scrappy live, but Love and Violence dispels any doubts we had, each of the five new tracks slow burning, boasting character and grace, and enormous, soaring melodies that build with each successive listen.

Try as we might, picking favourites is redundant here. Come Back To Me (also here as a live version) and the yearning Setting Sun are mighty. St Peter’s Lane boasts a new wavey edginess as McLoad sings of watching working girls on the avenue. The title track may have a relatively run of the mill verse structure, but it’s chorus builds into an epic and memorable one. Sea Song, meanwhile, shows that McLeod has picked up some tricks working with Tea Party frontman Jeff Martin: it’s as esoteric a song as The Superjesus have ever made.

Love and Violence proves that The Superjesus are back, and beyond a doubt are far from a spent force.