Jesu, Lifeline
hydra head records
If ever there were an omnipotent musician, a guy who could successfully flout musical boundaries at will, it would be Justin K. Broadrick. The mind behind Jesu was also at the helm of such creative genius as Godflesh, Napalm Death, and Techno Animal. Don't, however, let those heavy names deter you. This project embraces the sort of avant-garde beauty that tends to come with age and experience. Lifeline, a four-track EP, creates serenely beautiful, layered soundscapes heavily weighted in fuzz and feedback. While it does have some notable similarities to other shoegaze legends, namely Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine, Jesu goes a step beyond by meshing guitars, drums, and today's electronics, inspiring a bliss that ranges from listless to foreboding. Broadrick's melodic vocals dance within hazy layers of sound that seem nearly all encompassing. A guest appearance by Jarboe, of Swans, rounds out the EP. The result: Add yet another Jesu release to the buy-on-sight list. — brett cleaver
