Jakartah “In the Nervous Lights of Coincidence” CD

"In the Nervous Lights of Coincidence" is the debut full-length from intriguing Canadian trio Jakartah, and though it seems to have been released a year-and-a-half ago, the band is still promoting it fairly heavily. Perhaps that's because their label, Torque Records, has no mention of Jakartah anywhere that I can find on their MySpace page, but I'm not really sure what's going on there!? Regardless, the band emailed me about checking out the album, and I liked it, so... here we go. Apparently these guys have been compared to a lot of bands or styles that they feel have no real bearing on their sound or influences, and I fear I'll likely continue that trend, but what can you do, you know? To be honest, though, the only band Jakartah reminds me of is another odd contemporary outfit that I've written about in the past, and that's Robots and Empire. Both bands have this strange overall aesthetic that combines post-hardcore leanings with lightly prog-ish, almost "stoner rock" sounding characteristics—though Jakartah's take often heads in a more angular direction. (For the record, I still fucking hate the term "stoner rock", and it can be misleading, but I'm strictly referring to its textural musical qualities, nothing to do with subject matter or imagery.) Here fuzzy chord progressions and weird little rocked out riffs with underlying noise rock types of arrangements weave around dense basslines and subtly filtered vocals that are mixed a little farther back than usual, which creates an interested aesthetic as it is. But then all of this is punctuated by indie-esque clean passages and emphatic melodies, creating a truly unique approach that defies categorization in the best way possible. I'm really preferring to let the music do the talking lately, so here's a taste:

Jakartah "Reactions Begin Grinding Gears Tonight"

In an effort to spread their music to as many listeners as possible, the band has also made the album available for free download through their blog:

[DOWNLOAD] Jakartah "In the Nervous Lights of Coincidence" (@ Mediafire, via Blogspot)

However, if you like what you hear and wish to support Jakartah's efforts with a purchase, which is obviously encouraged, here are but a few sources to get you started...

Get It

Interpunk (CD)
RevHQ (CD)
Amazon.com (mp3)
iTunes (mp3)