Album Review

Jaakko & Jay – War Is Noise

• 24th May 2010

‘Critics, you probably got this album for free, so please don’t trouble yourselves with clever analysis, music is for listening to’ runs the opening skit of this album from the Finnish duo, before beseeching us all to cut our hair and get a real job. It’s a nice touch that sets a DIY vibe for the rest of the album. The tunes that follow are invariably both short – mostly under two minutes – and sweet.

Things are kept nice and simple – usually just an acoustic and drums accompany the vocals – and the bare bones approach evokes a sweaty garage, while the songs themselves are immaculately-formed punk ditties, delivered with frantic panache. A nordic twang in the vocals evokes Millencolin, who are as good a touchstone as any when describing the Jaakko and Jay sound.

Think California pop-punk with an angsty undercurrent that does nothing to detract from its instant catchiness. Better still, give it a listen yourself