The Brink - The Jezabels - Album Review

I first heard The Jezabels on a community radio station in 2011 just after the release of their debut LP Prisoner. I fell in love instantly, there was something about Prisoner that struck a chord with me and I fell in love with The Jezabels and the beautiful voice of Hayley Mary. Prisoner was my favourite album for months and every week I would play tracks from it on the radio show I hosted, I lacked variety but I couldn’t get enough of them. While the magic of The Jezabels has faded over time this album has re-invented it. If you didn’t fall in love with The Jezabels in 2011, The Brink is your chance!

Album number two is a hard one for any band, more so for The Jezabels after the success of album number one. Prisoner made it to number 2 on the ARIA charts and won the Best Independent Release Award at the 2012 ARIAs not to mention netting nominations for countless other awards. As all great bands do though The Jezabels have succeeded in delivering a top-notch sophomore album sure to win the hearts of many. The Brink is a mature album full of the melodic rock sound that has resonated with fans around the world and has all the right qualities to be just as if not more successful than its predecessor.

Lyrically and musically the album is a step above previous releases with songs that both bring you down and bring you right back up. There isn’t a single dull moment on this album. While on first plays the album appears to lack the pop element that dominated the first album, it is there and stronger than ever, a credit to the band and producer Dan Grech-Marguerat (who previously worked on major releases by Radiohead, The Vaccines, The Kooks, Lana Del Ray, Deep Sea Arcade). Stand out tracks include the dulcet Angel of Fire, lead single The End and Look of Love but this is an album that you can fall in love with entirely, one that you want to learn all the words to and sing along! The songs are shorter too, none longer than five minutes unlike previous releases making the album more accessible.

I was worried that like other bands with incredible debut albums that The Brink would disappoint me but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Brink takes a perfect sized step away from Prisoner, enough to keep long-time fans happy and draw new ones in. If you haven’t already get yourself a copy of The Brink and get to a show when they tour! This album is perfect for driving in the car, blasting while exercising and relaxing on a lazy afternoon!

The Brink: 4.5/5

James Macdonald

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