DECEMBER 2007 ONLINE EDITORIALS

The Jimi Austin - Draw Your Lines

album cover

By Nate Harper

The Jimi Austin play with a level of polish that keeps them approachable but that in the past has also limited them from truly rocking out. And that’s not to say that their hearts haven’t been in it. To hear the band, you can’t doubt they have the chops, or that keyboards/guitarist/vocalist Chris Anderson is singing with anything less than true emotion. And yet there was always that moment where the music swelled, the band hoisted their instruments in rhythm, and, rife with anticipation… they only turned it up to eight. Eight, when the situation called for ten – when the band and fans clearly both wanted super-amplified release.

Thankfully, though, the band has taken a good hard look at their amps and discovered a new the right side of the dial, and Anderson has finally learned to scream - to let it all out. Long-time fans needn’t be afraid, this is still The Jimi Austin - the hooks remain, and they’ve kept their occasional bouts of piano rock, but now they’re less afraid to truly open up and commit to the moment.

It was onstage at Hodi’s that I first experienced The Jimi Austin in fighting form, and I was curious to see if “Draw Your Lines,” their new EP, could showcase their stage energy on record. “Don’t Panic,” the opening song of the three-track offering, starts with a sharp blast of guitars before diving into a taut, mid-tempo rocker with an open sound. The song, like the EP, shows an almost newfound respect for the listener with its clean delivery and sustained energy – unsurprisingly the EP was recorded live at the Blasting Room. Track two, “Hairspray,” continues the momentum, at times sidetracking into feedback and leads, but never losing the intensity the band is striving for. The last cut, “Nonsene,” is a cocksure, bluesy strut of a song, the closest The Jimi Austin will likely ever sound to bar rock, but as close as they ever need to.

For a band that’s always had the heart, it’s nice to finally hear them come through with the soul, and fans who pick up “Draw Your Lines” will find their $5 was money well spent.