Jesu - Pale Sketches

Label: Avalanche Inc
Catologue Number: AREC008
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Alternative / Electronica / Shoegazer Metal
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Much has been made of Justin Broadrick’s move away from the harsh sounds of his Godflesh days towards the more shoegazer metal of Jesu. A lot of people have seen it as a betrayal whilst others have seen it as just another progressive step in the career of an artist who has done more for extreme and marginal music than most bands can ever dream of.

For me the question over Jesu has been not been about the musical change in direction but more about the quality of the output. I’ve normally found the albums to be poorly produced snooze-a-thons whilst the EPs especially Heartache and the Split release with Eluvium a lot more interesting and sonically pleasing.

Now to confuse my opinion on Jesu even further we get the release of Pale Sketches a limited edition collection of unreleased tracks recorded between 2000 and 2007. I was expecting a lot of album off cuts and demos, but what I got instead was an album which is the most solid and interesting thing that Jesu have released.

First thing about the album is that it is a lot more electronic based than anything else Justin has done under the Jesu name. From the sampling of The Rocky Horror show on opening track Don’t Dream It to the predominant use of breakbeats on the majority of the album it’s a real revelation. A lot of the grunge that ruined the self titled debut and Conqueror is absent here instead we have a low fi electronica that sparkles with simplicity.

Second track Can I Go Now even reminds me of the “nostalgia that never existed” electronics of Boards of Canada, whilst other songs such as Wash It All Away and Plans That Fade remind of a range of bands from Joy Division to Plaid and N5MD bands like Bitcrush and Last Days. This is music to drift away into and at moments heart-warming but coldly beautiful.

Only a couple of tracks really disappoint me and these are The Playgrounds are Empty and Conqueror-ish Supple Hope both sounding like album offcuts compared to the other startling tracks on Pale Sketches.

I hope that Pale Sketches is not the only thing Mr Broadrick does in the style of the tracks contained here. It would be a shame as the album is clearly the finest Jesu album so far.