I kind of missed the Jebediah phenomenon in the 90s but I'm not only jumping on the bandwagon this time; I'm driving it. Yep, the man who once shrugged his shoulders when folks mentioned the Jebs, is waxing lyrical, gushing compliments and berating anyone who hasn't heard the band. I've become one of those annoying latecomers I usually despise. I don't need to be an old fan to know that the scene just hasn't seemed the same without Jebediah; a band whose influence is now clearly noticeable as younger acts - especially from Western Australia - begin to make an impact. Having shed the dead weight of a major label contract and opting to return to independent status, The Jebs seem reborn and the subsequent autonomy and enthusiasm have combined to deliver the bestest Jebs album in memory: Braxton Hicks. First Time, the first single, was loaded with 4 great tracks, so I've been assuming Braxton Hicks would be a 2004 highlight. I wasn't wrong. The opening track, More Alone, is dripping with that unmistakable Jebs sound: power + melody = joy. Being a worshipper of all things distortion, I love it when this W.A. 4-piece shovel a few coals into the furnace to achieve that locomotive momentum, as on Loaded Gun, but I'm a sucker for a big chorus and the more melodic It's Over completely nailed me, giving me an insight into the type of appeal that has not only attracted a massive fanbase, but - most importantly - retained it. First Time seems like an old friend after spinning in my stereo many times, but I've made a new friend: Nothing, which brutally mashes light riffing with the hardest distorted onslaught on the album. No wonder it ends proceedings. Jebediah have reached that point where every element is under their control - from production to business - and if Braxton Hicks is the end product of that control, every signed band should rip up their major label contracts immediately.

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Tracklisting

Full listing of JEBEDIAH releases