My Jerusalem
Gone for Good (One Little Indian)Misery loves company. After a solo tour in 2008, Jeff Klein corralled his contemporaries Dave Rosser (the Twilight Singers), Rick Nelson (the Polyphonic Spree), Cully Symington (Bishop Allen), and Ashley Dzerigian (Great Northern) into My Jerusalem, an Austin/New Orleans-based collective with a penchant for fire-and-brimstone indie rock. The band’s full-length debut finds the local songsmith still chasing the neon sleaze of mentor Greg Dulli – Gutter Twins hustler Mark Lanegan even appears on “Hit the Lights” – but his revolving backdrop makes for a much more varied and detailed listen. Mariachi trumpets in opener “Valley of Casualties” and second track “Sweet Chariot” add a Southwestern bent to Klein’s more gothic undertones, while the bloodletting “Bury It Low” charges with the strength of 16 Horsepower before the slow burn of “Poison the Truth.” Only the medicated “Sleepwalking” captures My Jerusalem’s full potential though, with an oddly danceable backbeat, euphoric harmonies, and dual vocals that evince the extremes of Klein’s range. In such moments, Gone for Good delivers Old Testament vindication.
This article appears in February 11 • 2011.