How to be an Ambivalent Negotiator – J Mann (Middle of the Road)

This album kicks off with the oddest ever Christmas song, in which the protagonist-vocalist finds himself stressed out over the death of Joe Strummer. Imagine that on the latest festive compilation. I wish. This collection of songs starts out in such a strange place that it can only travel in yet stranger directions. That said, this is fairly regular, but very tight guitar pop that finds its legs somewhere between American garage and Britpop. The J Mann sound is where Smashing Pumpkins meet Supergrass, but the album’s identity is all it’s own. And while it definitely ‘rocks’, there are some great slices of popcraft on offer: ‘Three Hot Potatoes’, the excellent ‘Slipping into Debt’ (featuring raw vocals from Miranda Jelicie) and the Modern Lovers-style groove of ‘All You Can Do’. The most essential track is ‘One-horse Town’ which relates a quite horrifically bad road trip over a wonderfully languid desert of a tune and features a brilliant set of Dylan-esque vocals from Sarah Davison.
Elton Townend Jones