POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Sonic Combustion Eludes Jesus Lizard
Danger, mayhem and high-strung intensity are just a few of the key elements that make Chicago’s Jesus Lizard one of the best live bands on the underground rock circuit.
The indie quartet, whose recent album, “Down,” hit near the top of college music charts, plays tight blasts of jazz-based punk with a disturbed, psychotic edge--delivering it all with a sort of unchecked mania.
Thursday at the Palace, the band unleashed its songs in powerful torrents, but never quite hit its full-blown potential of raw brilliance. The venue’s big, impersonal setting seemed to quell any chance of sonic combustion, while singer David Yow proved too stumbly and mumbly to seethe excitement.
The compact singer did stalk around on stage, letting loose wild howls, deep groans and acerbic hisses, but he lost momentum by appearing more unfocused than agitated. The disheveled Yow’s hair stood on end, making him look as though he’d just gone through the tumble cycle of a dryer, while the band played its skewed melodies with razor precision.
The group never lived up to its own explosive standards, but then, how easy can it be to wreak havoc nightly?
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