The Jan Martens Frustration
The Jan Martens Frustration
Hidden Agenda
The Jan Martens Frustration’s self-titled debut feels a whole lot like Oasis circa 1997. Anyone who followed – yeah, past tense for relevancy’s sake – that band’s career remembers that year was the beginning of the end. At least Oasis had a few years and a couple of stellar albums to stroke their ego; but there’s really no cause for a new Swedish outfit to feel overdone instrumentals, two-minute song intros, superfluous solos and jet engine rock are warranted. Martens even throws in some soaring, anthemic Bono-isms to prove the vocals can be just as bloated as the music. There are a few moments here when the band’s garage rock tornado passes over decent territory, but it’s all been done by other bands devoted to ’60s and ’70s hard rock. Martens takes a jab at his melancholy countrymen/labelmates on “Through the Fence,” when he states that he doesn’t “fit in/among the self-pitying losers/whose aim is not to win.” It’s funny, because if he took lessons from those very losers, he would stand a better chance of making a record that doesn’t suck.
Hidden Agenda: http://www.parasol.com
