Jay Reatard
(In The Red)
Jay Reatard has come into recent renown by resurrecting the gob-lobbing glory of ’77-style punk. And it’s no wonder why—his best songs rank with the jittery best of The Damned, The Buzzcocks, The Vibrators, even a bit of Lust For Life-era Iggy. And Singles 06-07 only proves it. Really, it’s more a question of why now? Since The Reatards formed way back in 1997, that means dude’s been doing it for more than a decade.
Overdue accolades aside, In The Red’s compilation of Reatard singles leading up to 2006’s acclaimed Blood Visions is wonderful in its by-the-book treatment of old school punk. First, there’s the singles format, a virtual birthright of any self-respecting punk band from day one. But mostly there’s the fact that the album is 17-tracks worth of nervous, anti-social bursts of energy that sparkle in spite of themselves with a touch of sweetness snot-rocketed here and there. Witness the steady jangle of “Searching For You,” where Reatard laments, “It seems that my dreams only come true/When my dreams aren’t about you.” Then match it to the counterpoint sadism of “Turning Blue,” when our speaker confesses, “As sad as it seems/You’re turning blue in my dreams.” Set to the vintage nervy rhythms Reatard convinces us are all his own, this punk historian looks backward to move forward and drags us along with him. It’d be a real pain in the ass if it weren’t so good.
Standout tracks: “Searching For You,” “Turning Blue,” “It’s So Useless” BRYAN REED
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