You know that loud/quiet/loud thing that
the Pixies and
Nirvana both built careers out of? Well, the torch has been passed to a new generation, and Vancouver's
Jo Passed reveal the results of their own study of dynamics on their debut album, 2018's
Their Prime. While this band isn't averse to sharp contrasts within their songs, as demonstrated in tracks like "Left," "Repair," and "MDM" (the latter of which bears a more than passing resemblance to
the Pixies),
Jo Passed also enjoy shifting back and forth between languid numbers filled with whispery vocals and delicate guitar patterns, and louder, more aggressive material where guitarists Jo Hirabayashi and Bella Bébé square off and offer some satisfying six-string cross talk. On "Glass," Hirabayashi and Bébé conjure something akin to
Tom Verlaine sitting in with
Wire, "Millennial Trash Blues" is a raucous exercise in fuzz abuse, and "Places Please" is a six-minute stroll through the clouds. For a band that's only been working since 2015,
Jo Passed sound remarkably focused and confident on
Their Prime, largely due to group leader Hirabayashi, who wrote the lion's share of the material, handled much of the instrumental work, and recorded the material in his own makeshift studio. Hirabayashi also brought in ringers to record the bass and drum tracks rather than use the rhythm section of his road band, which suggests this combo isn't entirely a democracy, though it's hard to argue with the results. If the hushed murmur of Hirabayashi's vocals seems just a bit mannered by the time "Places Please" closes out this album, he knows how to write songs, the production is thoughtful and inspired, and the guitar work connects solidly throughout.
Their Prime is an impressive debut from a group that has already gone a long way toward moving past their influences, and
Jo Passed is clearly a band to watch. ~ Mark Deming