The Jezebels were formed in 2007 in Sydney when the group of students and friends decided to make music. Up until now, they have released three EPs and three LPs. Nik Kaloper, Samuel Lockwood, Heather Shannon and Hayley Mary are band members. In their homeland, they have managed to draw attention after the first release, which allowed the to reach the top of the charts. The name of the band has a biblical reference, but it also reflects a feminist attitude singer Hayley Mary has. She is not afraid to show it through music. They compare her to Freddy Mercury, Kate Bush and Cyndi Lauper which is, in my opinion, over comparison since she is an average pop vocalist.
Their fresh album Synthia is an homage to synths, Cyndi Lauper, and Cynthia Lennon. By listening to the album, you can hear the change in direction of the sound. It is much more pop than any of their earlier releases. Synths are everywhere. A darker sound is replaced with cheerful pop. I mean, aren’t there like a billion indie bands who experiment with synth and pop? That doesn’t have to end up good. In the case of The Jezebels, this was a good experiment because Hayley Mary’s voice is suited for pop numbers.
It makes me sad to see they have decided to center around pop since this was a multi-dimensional band. The fortune of their earlier releases is also to be missed in lyrical expression. Gender is still a strong theme, alongside love. Every perspective is feministic, although there is a personal touch to every song.
Come Alive is an absolute hit of the album and it is the most expressive track. The chorus is pretty dope, because Hayley sings in French.
My Love Is My Disease, Stand and Deliver and Pleasure Drive are typical synth tracks. The rest of the album is monotone and prosaic, but not boring. The only thing I missed is more hits. Also, there are too many bands who sound like this. I am sad to see another authentic band became a generic indie-synth machine.
