So Jealous followed a series of one semi-self-released album and duo of albums on then relatively unknown Vapor Records. So Jealous shows a clear evolution from those early records and a definite maturity in terms of their songwriting. Besides containing what is possibly their biggest "hit" (Walking with a Ghost), So Jealous contains many of the sisters most beloved songs. "Take me Anywhere" is a lovely little song about the faults of someone, but also devotion in all of its ugly and beautiful splendor. " You Wouldn't Like Me" is a keyboard accentuated acoustic/electric number about self-perception and how that can skew how we perceive how we can often be our own worst enemies in terms of love and longing.
The album contains a number of very memorable tracks. "I Know I Know I Know" is wonderful almost "new-wave" number about changes that time and seasons bring and ultimately how none of that matters compared to the love we feel for one another. The song almost reminds me of a female version of the Matt Sharp's "Rentals" and their keyboard moaning (the two have actually collaborated on several occasions). " I Won't Be Left", an almost punk tune with a catchy progression (their forte!!) and some apprehension about the risks we take when we open our hearts to others.
The album does contain some songs that could have been omitted. "Where Does the Good Go" sits on a groove and lyrics that seem to "wear their heart on their sleeve" and the song is repetitive at many points. "Downtown" is not bad by any means; however, the ominous sounding keyboards and awkward chord changes left me thinking about how the song kind of meandered and never really had any serious impact.The title track never really did appeal to me, I found its chord changes and sound changes to be too stark, it produces a kind of "disorientation" for the listener not unlike the drastic change in the Beatles "A Day in the Life". I know I am going to get in trouble for saying this, but it sounds as if two songs were patched together to create a kind of "Frankenstein" of a song.
So Jealous is a vastly underrated album. It definitely contains more classics than filler. The songs that don't exactly work at all times are still quite good. The keyboard work is a nice addition, and the synth/acoustic combination definitely separates this album from many other acoustic driven bands. The distorted guitar provides a nice complement to the clean acoustic, and it reproduces in an aural sense the internal emotional conflict that is a hallmark of the duo's work. Overall, I would recommend this album to those who are fans of the duo and those who are looking for something that provides deep, introspective, looks at the fragile human ego and seamlessly blends machine with the human heart.
Rating: 8.5/10
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