Jawbox
For Your Own Special Sweetheart

The mother of Jawbox at the end of the first year of high school ("Grippe") went to collect the report card. The teacher told her: "Madam, your children are a failure. They don't apply themselves, they don't even try to do the maximum with the minimum. They just settle... it's fine that this reform wants them lazy of mind and well-dressed, but your children could be big shots in these nineties... try giving them a private tutor."

The mother of the Jawbox, a reasonable woman, as soon as she got home did the first right thing to do: she slipped the belt from the loops of her jeans and let them taste the pure Kentucky bovine leather. Exhausted, she did the second right thing and called Professor Bill Barbot. The boys, intimidated by the thrashing, buckled down and managed to graduate with honors ("Novelty") complete with the academic kiss from the janitor and the somersault from the teacher at the state high school Dischord. The boys had managed to become big shots of the nineties and their mother, who could count quite well, told herself it was time to send them to university (Atlantic).

The Jawbox at university wasted no time as they still remembered the sound that pure Kentucky bovine leather makes on the back, and at the cost of looking like Nerds, they gave up pills, light drugs, and philosophy faculties ("For Your Own Special Sweetheart"). Bent over their books, they graduated, but like most university students, they ended up twiddling their thumbs closed off in a plastic rectangle piled on some shelf of any record store.

You will get lost in this album, guaranteed lemon-wise. You will get lost among the riffs and stunning syncopations of "Savory"; you will swim in the Fugazi-like Hardcore of "Breathe"; your veins will swell from singing along with "Motorist"; you'll think of Pixies seduced by Helmet when you arrive at "Cooling Card"; with "Green Glass" you'll throw away your Foo Fighters records (assuming you have any); "Jackpot Plus" will use you as a pinball for a round of pinball, "Reel" will move you as it hasn't happened since the days of Husker Du, and you will be grateful for it; "Withney Walks" will give you the final blow, you'll think that these were really among the top of the class: it will be love.

Oh, still there? This is a big record. Move it!