Glitter In The Gutter - Jesse Malin

...in fact.

Glitter in the Gutter is Malin's third solo album and while it breaks no new ground thematically it does offer some development. Personally I loved the first two albums, "The Fine Art of Self Destruction" and "The Heat"; they were quite dark and the first in particular had quite a country feel to it. Glitter in the Gutter calls back to Malin's punk roots with fast guitars, quirky lyrics and punch the air ...
...thoughtfulness.

It opens with the chirpy and sunny "Don't let them take you down", moving into the punk-inspired "In the modern world" which has lyrics that remind me of Lou Reed, describing the alternative side of New York in true Malin style; where Reed would have made it all sound dark and subversive, Malin celebrates gender-bending transvestites and quirks of contemporary urban life with energy.

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Years ago I bought Jesse Malin's first solo album on the back of a three line review in the Times and fell in love with something I would probably have regarded as deeply unfashionable before then. A punk poet, a rock'n'roll troubadour, a Springsteen wannabe - however you want to describe him, there's no disputing Jesse Malin's passion and his ability to craft the perfect pop song. Admittedly Jesse Malin writes about only two things: how terrible life is in the gutter, or something a little more upbeat about being in the gutter but fighting to get out. Both types of song are set against the backdrop of Malin's native New York and with a real feeling of the 1970s and early 1980s - classic Springsteen material in fact.

Glitter in the Gutter is Malin's third solo album and while it breaks no new ground thematically it does offer some development. Personally I loved the first two albums, "The Fine Art of Self Destruction" and "The Heat"; they were quite dark and the first in particular had quite a country feel to it. Glitter in the Gutter calls back to Malin's punk roots with fast guitars, quirky lyrics and punch the air sentiments but it also has moments of quiet intimacy and thoughtfulness.

It opens with the chirpy and sunny "Don't let them take you down", moving into the punk-inspired "In the modern world" which has lyrics that remind me of Lou Reed, describing the alternative side of New York in true Malin style; where Reed would have made it all sound dark and subversive, Malin celebrates gender-bending transvestites and quirks of contemporary urban life with energy.

"Tomorrow tonight" highlights Malin's talents as a lyricist; his themes might be less than original but his witty and often poetic lyrics do make him stand out against the crowd. Alas, on songs like "Black haired girl" - and there are obvious allusions to the Van Morrison track to be made - lyrics like "going for a ride... just like Bonnie & Clyde" don't really help anyone trying to make a case for Malin's credibility. The only real problem I have at all with Jesse Malin is that the quality of his lyrics fluctuates between absolutely divine and embarrassingly awful. Fortunately his knack of creating a proper pop song with structure and musical impact does mean you can sometimes forget his weaker lyrical moments.

"Broken Radio" is a piano based duet with his long-time hero and obvious influence Bruce Springsteen. This is a great song for both performers to prove themselves vocally and its interesting to hear both musicians do something a little different from their usual material. Lyrically we're still on 'cliché street' but you have to hand it to Jesse Malin for integrity and passion, this song shows he has bucketloads of both. Don't be fooled though; lyrics like "We never had a lot of cash, but we loved those kids" may be straight out of the Springsteen songbook but this is a Malin penned original and one which has the crowd transfixed at live shows.

"Lucinda" is a country-tinged song about another of Jesse Malin's great friends and musical influences, the wonderful Lucinda Williams. In fact Malin's influences can be found all over this album with Ryan Adams who produced Malin's first solo album lending background vocals and playing lead guitar on "In the modern world". An interesting and highly original cover version is the Paul Westerberg penned "Bastards of young" originally recorded by Westerberg's band The Replacements (another favourite of mine) and Malin's piano version is not only surprising but also cleverly executed. Finally the also very wonderful Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age puts in an appearance at least to put to bed any ideas you may have that Jesse Malin is just a frustrated Sprinsgteen wannabe.

The two stand out tracks are "Prisoners of Paradise" and "Little Star"; punky numbers with punchy choruses and great guitar work. Both songs would have been huge singles if this album had been made in the 1980s when it was acceptable to write songs that told a story.

"Glitter in the Gutter" is a well balanced collection of songs that move nicely between rock and pop with one or two hints of country along the way. It's a very "American" album and is a portrait of a very distinct time and place. Not only is Jesse Malin very talented but he has brought together a collection of superb performers that may just attract some much needed new listeners and radio airtime in the UK. In the States Malin is certainly not short on airplay; his energy and catchy lyrics make him perfect for the college radio and the Americana scene. In the UK he has caught the attention of Bob Harris though Malin should be at least as well known as Ryan Adams.

"Glitter in the Gutter" is Springsteen-meets-Mellencamp-meets-the energy of punk. Highly recommended!

CD available priced £5.99 on Amazon

www.jessemalin.com

www.myspace.com/jessemalin

Or come to see him play an acoustic set at Fibbers in York on Tuesday 13 May - and say hello to me!

*The first being Patti Smith as I have been kindly reminded 

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