Jonathan Fire*Eater: Wolf Songs For Lambs

Jonathan Fire*Eater ought to be from Manchester or something, considering both the band's recent hype and its swaggering, pulsating, organ- and attitude-driven rock. Instead, the group is from New York City, where its bombastically theatrical live shows and dirty, strangely retro sound have won it numerous fans and a big-time major-label record deal. (JFE has even faced its first wave of backlash already—something about whether its members enjoyed wealthy, prep-school upbringings.) Jonathan Fire*Eater's major-label debut, Wolf Songs For Lambs, provides an impressive representation of what the band can do: The album's 11 concise little songs exist independently of any rock-music era, with the past four decades blending together in a sea of organs, maracas, blaring guitars, affected vocals, and—when the situation warrants it—self-consciously thin production. In a music world increasingly occupied by overlong, overblown epics like the new Oasis record, it's refreshing to hear a similarly brash, ego-driven rock album that knows how to kick your ass quickly and get off the stage. You'll find no nine-minute anthems or boring bonus tracks here.