Before James Hall formed the power pop group Shake Some Action!, he worked in his native Australian band, The Jeunes. This collection of songs covers the critically acclaimed band from 2002 to 2005. The Jeunes only released a four song EP, and they left behind a pile of unreleased material. In my interview with Hall, he mentioned this project. Obviously with some ideas coming from different time periods and varied musical styles this is a mixed bag for the average music fan. Fans of Shake Some Action will appreciate some standouts like the spacey opener “High 5.” The garage influenced gems “Obvious” and “Time Is On My Side” are timeless punk/pop in the vein of The Hoodoo Gurus and Redd Kross. The slower mid tempo songs “See You Again” and “Never Be The Same” recall Midnight Oil’s late 80’s heyday, and are a bit dated here, even though they are good songs. The other material is pretty good here too, like the REM-like “It’s Alright.” The Stooges-styled punk songs like “What You Do To Me” and “Missing Person” are fun, but ultimately forgettable. Fans of above bands, The Stone Roses and Material Issue may also find this album enjoyable.
My Space | CD Baby