Always Bet On Black

Jakkpot

Royalty Records, 1999

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/10/1999

I've been listening to this CD since the first day it arrived in my mailbox. Not since first re-discovering punk with Bigwig have I seriously dug a punk CD this much. Bursting with musical chops and the kind of simple, yet interesting guitar work that typifies a punk band, Jakkpot continually perk your ears with their biting sarcasm.

For instance, on track nine, "Nobody Wanted Us," the band whips through lyrics that serve as the band's fight song. "We're the assholes in Jakkpot baby." In "Young and Dumb," vocalist Rude-A proclaims, "She's so young and dumb/ fuckin' dumb." That's the chorus. And also, like Bigwig, the disc is short, clocking in at only 30 minutes.

So what about the music? Well, get a hold of Metallica's Garage Inc. and listen to the guitar riff in their cover of the Anti-Nowhere League's "So What." That riff is simple, but catchy. Jakkpot captures the spirit of that riff throughout this disc. Individually, the members are competent musicians but together with vocalist Rude-A leading through rants about "You ain't shit / without a leather jacket" and the aforementioned "Young and Dumb," this band is hot.

The other main musical element you note immediately is the cleanliness of the snare drum fills on this record. Sharp as Devo's whip. While all great bands have scorching releases, I truly doubt Jakkpot can top this stellar release. The musicianship, the songwriting and the execution of these three traits are right on the money.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Rating: A

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© 1999 Paul Hanson and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Royalty Records, and is used for informational purposes only.