My Jerusalem: Preachers [Album Review]

My Jerusalem
Preachers
The End Records [2012]

Fire Note Says: My Jerusalem will grab your ear from the opening track as their sophomore record, Preachers, is a non-stop enjoyable ride.

Album Review: Preachers is the sophomore album from Austin’s My Jerusalem and from the opening piano intensity on the opening title track you just know that this record is going to be a good ride. This brooding style is not new to founder and singer Jeff Klein as he is the ex-guitarist/keyboardist for the Gutter Twins and The Twilight Singers. If you are going to have a similar vibe – following in the steps of Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli is never a bad path.

Klein’s baritone vocal also helps the mood on Preachers as he propels each of these 11 tracks from the valleys upward like on the sinister pulsing “Shatter Together” that just keeps building. Elsewhere like on “Devoe” My Jerusalem carry a very confident tone as the low key track allows Klein to just sing above the instruments with a whisper until he yells out “If I could be the one you wanted, not fuck around” which then is the signal for the full band to build the soundscape around him. This type of emotion pours out of Preachers and pulls the listener into each deep rhythm, each thoughtful lyric and each instrument burst.

Preachers was recorded in less than three weeks by Spoon drummer Jim Eno (Heartless Bastards, Black Joe Lewis) and showcases My Jerusalem as a now genuine band instead of just a group of musicians. Eno helped capture their organic live performances as the group left hard drives and laptops behind in favor of analog tape machines and vintage keyboards.  This new cohesiveness and direction produce excellent results as My Jerusalem have not only recorded a great record but show true promise moving forward as a band that could easily achieve bigger things!

Key Tracks: “Shatter Together”, “Devoe”, “Chameleon”

Artists With Similar Fire: The National / Mark Kozelek / The Twilight Singers

My Jerusalem Website
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The End Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony

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Christopher Anthony

Christopher Anthony, a passionate supporter of new music, managed a record store and produced alternative video shows in the '90s. Transitioning into the 2000s, he became a prolific music blogger, chronicling the scene with a positive view. His mission: to discover the latest indie releases and share them with you!

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