The Jesus and Mary Chain

firing 17 blanks

Stoned and Dethroned (American Recordings)

The Jesus and Mary Chain

By Kory Wilcoxson

It's hard to put your finger on exactly who The Jesus and Mary Chain reminds you of. You know you've heard the style before: jangly guitars that churn out one catchy pop tune after another.

Hey, that sounds like the Beatles! To stretch this otherwise unbelievable comparison, the guitar intro on "Girlfriend" sounds eerily similar to the guitar intro to "Day Tripper" — too bad the rest of the song isn't as good.

Enough of the lofty comparisons. The Chain gang is not worth it and neither is Stoned and Dethroned. It has its moments, but for the type of music being made here, the approach seems less than logical.

The Chain does not spend a lot of time dillydallying around when it comes to a song; only seven of the 17 songs on Stoned crack the three-minute barrier.

If you are going to be so fleeting about things, the hooks should come flying fast and furious. But The Chain is above that and what the listener is left with is 17 songs that finish before they ever get started and don't leave much of an impression.

A few are worth catching; "Bullet Lovers" and "Something Always," along with "Girlfriend," seem to break the mold and offer something musically. Beyond those, it is a lot of cotton candy.