Review Summary: Jane in Space have crafted an undoubtedly mature debut album that is bound to appeal to fans of any kind of electronics-driven alternative rock.
Jane in Space is a New York City-based band focused on blending electronic and industrial influences with alternative rock songwriting and sensibilities. This puts them alongside influences and contemporaries such as Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, with their self-titled debut album sure to appeal to fans of the aforementioned groups.
While still relatively fresh on the scene,
Jane in Space sounds quite unlike a debut album. The album was mastered by Tom Baker, who has previously worked with the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails, as well as Deftones and Wolfmother, and the quality of his work is immediately noticeable. “Say Something” kicks off proceedings with a strong beat and bass rhythm (courtesy of bassist Josh Stillman) that establishes the band's sound right off the bat. Perhaps unfortunately, this is one of the finest performances on the record in terms of the vocals. Vocalist Tom Vickers doesn't have a bad voice by any stretch of the imagination – he is, in fact, an experienced actor and voice-over artist – but his voice lacks some of the raw power and energy that catapulted their contemporaries in the genre to stardom.
This becomes more apparent on tracks like “Dehydrated”, which doesn't have the instrumental energy of the opener. While still maintaining the catchiness, the more subdued approach exposes Vickers' vocals and leaves them sounding slightly flat. When this is followed by “Jane3”, a fairly uninteresting interlude track, the worry becomes that
Jane in Space might slip into mediocrity following a strong start. Fortunately, this proves to a false concern, as “Dizzy Head” delves further into the dark and atmospheric aspects of the band's sound. Haunting electronics and another fantastic bassline add to a much-improved vocal performance to create one of the band's most memorable songs; the chorus line of “thought of going to bed without you” will be stuck in your head for days.
Other highlights include the thumping rhythms of “Helsinki”, with some added guitar-work bringing alternative rock to the forefront of the mix, and album single and closing track “Feel it Alive”. The song is notable for its concept, in which the band attempted to explore the organic way patterns disassemble into new patterns, depending on how they are experienced. Perhaps in a similar way to how Tool played with the Fibonacci Sequence on “Lateralus”, vocalist Tom Vickers coalesces the syllables of the title into different words, while heavily altered takes of his vocals drift in and out. It's an interesting concept, for sure, but one that isn't all that easily noticed without the background information beforehand. Either way, it's a standout song and a good way to end the album, contrasting nicely with the opener.
Jane in Space have crafted an undoubtedly mature debut album that is bound to appeal to fans of any kind of electronics-driven alternative rock. While there are noticeable flaws, the album is a cohesive collection of songs that showcase a ton of potential for future releases.
