Jesus Jones Throws in Everything but the Kitchen Sync

JESUS JONES “Perverse”, SBK Records , * *1/2

Sorry to say, the third time isn’t the charm for Jesus Jones. There are enough stirring moments in the British band’s third album for the group to still cling precariously to the “promising” tag that has long surrounded it, but too few to signal the band rising to the next level of creativity and influence.

Mike Edwards is a songwriter in the purposeful, uplifting tradition of Pete Townshend, and he continues to embrace worthy themes--from the computer-age embrace of “Zeroes and Ones” to the media overkill of “Don’t Believe It.”

But he’s in danger of ending up his generation’s Paul Weller, another British writer who fell short of his Townshend-level potential in the early ‘80s. The problem is a game plan that often surrounds Edwards’ songs with an almost psychedelic mix of contemporary dance strains so aggressive yet cluttered that it comes from the “kitchen sink” school of arrangement.

By focusing so much attention on a sound that often seems more shallow than inspired, the band detracts from its strength--Edwards’ songs--and invites unfavorable comparison with the far more compelling musical assault of such rivals as Ministry, Nine Inch Nails and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Now that’s really perverse.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).