The first track on
Jet's third album, 2009's
Shaka Rock, is a pretty good indicator that the band hasn't made a sudden shift in the direction of subtlety. "K.I.A. (Killed in Action)"'s thudding drums, howling guitars, children's chorus, and dim-bulb lyrics never come together coherently and it sounds like the kind of forgettable song that plays over the end credits of a bad action movie. Not exactly what fans of the band were hoping for after the strong debut (and good follow-up) the band released in the first half of the decade. The rest of the album is a patchwork mess of failed experiments (the mock disco "Beat on Repeat," the funk metal mess of "Start the Show" that sounds a lot like something
Spinal Tap might have recorded in the early '90s); attempts to recapture the hip-swinging groove of their big hit single, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" ("She's a Genius," "Seventeen"); clichéd big rock ballads that lack the emotional heft of the ballads on
Shine On ("Goodbye Hollywood," "She Holds a Grudge"); and lunkheaded, cold-hearted rock with no sock ("Black Hearts [On Fire]," "Walk").
Shaka Rock isn't a total failure, but it comes damn close. Only the piano-driven, ultra-poppy "La Di Da" and the emotional "Let Me Out," which has the feel and sound of a classic late-'80s radio staple
Tom Petty or
Cheap Trick ballad, show any of the spark of the first two albums.
Jet were never the most original-sounding band on the planet; indeed, their lighthearted and earnest borrowing of styles was one of the things they had going for them. So was their unflagging energy and dedication. Here they just sound like they are flailing around desperately looking for something that will catch on. Coupled with the embarrassingly bad lyrics (sample from "Times Like This": "Times like this/You're on your own/Times like this/We just lost control/Times like this/You need your rock & roll"), the lack of focus and originality are just too much for the spirited performances to overcome.
Shaka Rock squanders the promise
Jet showed on their previous work, and even if they soldier on and release another ten albums, this feels like the end of the road for them.