Jesse Malin
The Fine Art of Self Destruction

THE REVIEW

Jesse Malin was born in Brooklyn and tells stories of drinking, emotions, shattered loves, and desperate drop-outs, with that typical flair that only someone born and raised in that technicolor chaos could have. In his musical tableaux, an irony, a sentiment, and a candid enthusiasm emerge that at times remind one of John Fante's exalted alter-ego in "Ask the Dust".

The track that opens the album, "Queen of the Underworld," is a ballad full of rhythm, which – when it is released as the first single on January 20 – could achieve a decent level of radio play.

"Riding on the Subway" (track no. 7), begins with a sensual, albeit somewhat clichéd rhythm, and transforms into the soundtrack of a short film about casual encounters and what they might have been. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps something we've all felt at least once in our lives.

Malin is a contemporary troubadour, musically inspired by Young, Waits, and Dylan. Live, he is ironic, caustic, with a Joe Pesci-like humor that manages to entertain the audience for more than an hour without any problem, and I highly recommend going to see him when he comes to Italy next March.

For a crazy wild person like the one writing, Jesse Malin's genre is a bit too "calm," slow, but not with the same dark and symbolic slowness as Mark Lanegan's "Field Songs," which better suits the writer's personality. But this is a strictly personal opinion.

"The Fine Art of Self Destruction" (One Little Indian Records) is without a doubt an excellent album, with Ryan Adams' production helping to create an album that is both raw and romantic, to be "listened to" carefully to fully understand its honest approach and unusual depth.