Artist – Jukebox Monkey
Album: Smiles Becoming Teeth
Record Label:
Release Date: July 28th 2023
Jukebox Monkey are an alternative grunge outfit first formed in 2010 in Kent, UK. Defined by their monolithic foot-stomping sound that has evolved to combine the expansive low-end power of desert rock, with the heavy groove of southern sludgy metal and the raw energy of 90’s alt-rock.
The band have so far released three EPs and released their debut album ‘Grey Skies Red Planet’ back in 2017. Now comes The follow-up to 2017’s debut full-length with their second album ‘Smiles Becoming Teeth’. Revealing their inspirations behind the album, the band states: “This album is about the disintegration of the family unit. The transitory nature of relationships, and that of families in particular, is the overriding theme throughout this record.”
The album kicks off with the title track which delivers a very British alternative ’90s-inspired sound. There is some real intense distortion that instantly hits your ears and while it is definitely heavy it isn’t quite metal and feels a little more like alternative rock if I were to try and label it. Chris Dabner’s vocals have this rasp and roar as he delivers a somewhat ironic view on a controlling and skewed relationship delivering a forceful starting point.
“Swirl” slows the tempo a little and brings a much longer follow-up at 8 minutes in length throwing out some cool little guitar runs and working to showcase all sections of the band as the attention is then directed towards the bass and drum building that intensity for a loud finish. The transition is almost seamlessly into “… People Are Not Disposable” bringing back that intensity with heavy riffs and roaring vocal power. There does seem to be a little too much similarity y for some tracks as while I enjoyed the next song “Like 1973” it didn’t do much to distinguish itself from the previous track.
However “Fountainhead” does switch up the gears and is really a standout track and despite it being the shortest, it leaves the most impact. It is a tad more abrasive in its nature and has this awesome powerful intro that shifts into this almost melodic riff which honestly had me hooked. I would say if you were to choose any song on this album this would be my pick every time.
We also have “The Nether” which starts with a somewhat ghostly melody but soon erupts into loud distortion shifting neatly between the two. Then comes “Deathbed Convert”which again, is darker in tone and mood, this one really has something unique and intoxicating ambience. Now on to the final track “Something Meaningless” which is very indicative of the band’s overall sound and therefore feels very appropriate as the final song.
This sound feels like it really comes from ‘90s for sure. While it feels like the album could have mixed things up a bit more there is still much to take away from this release. The combination of heavy distortion complimenting the powerful vocals was overarching throughout. Overall this is a strong release showcasing the musical chops of the group!!
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