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Aug 14, 2020 JOBS By Ian King

How you interpret the title of JOBS’ third album may depend on whether you find birthdays (be they your own or those of others) a source of enjoyment or anxiety. Both points of view apply here, as guitarist/vocalist Dave Scanlon, violist Jessica Pavone, bassist Robert Lundberg, and drummer Max Jaffe make it their mission on endless birthdays to wind together pleasure and unease so tightly that the two become indistinguishable.

The infinite drone of digital content hangs over the album, with JOBS sourcing some of their inspiration from distinctly modern media products like ASMR videos. On songs like “Planned Humans,” endless birthdays has the feel of free jazz chopped and compressed into claustrophobic cubes. Rejection of RIYL-streaming complacency runs through the record from the first wobbling thrusts of the opening “A Toast,” which cryptically takes aim at Super Soakers, of all things. Members of Deerhoof, Skeletons, and others join JOBS as they swerve around both algorithmic and avant garde expectations, pushing out in a direction of their own. (www.jobsband.net)

Author rating: 7.5/10