The Modern World that the Jam sang about in the late '70s isn't so modern anymore. And if the Jam was a then-contemporary take on the Who's mod rock, then it's the Jam's turn to be resurrected. While nearly every young New Wave throwback these days is paying homage to XTC, the Cure, or Gang of Four, Eurovox (http://www.eurovoxuk.com) has more of a rock edge, doing away with angular rhythms for a classic guitar attack.
But it's the ghost of the Jam that haunts this entire album. You can hear it in the thick accent and desperation of vocalist Mat Hammond and in the ragged yet melodic grooves that the group unleashes on nearly every tune. Even the production by British punk vet Robbie Watson has that old-school touch, trimming any fat to make the riffs raw enough to melt your speakers and the drums loud as rampaging elephants.
The opener, "Billy No Mates," is as English as they come both lyrically and musically. Since the Jam were never huge in the U.S., it might be to Eurovox's advantage as this will seem fresh to the unenlightened. While there's no power anthem here with the oomph of the Kaiser Chiefs' "I Predict a Riot" or Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out," these are solid tracks played with love and energy.
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The lads take a break from the Jam sessions on "The World Won't Wait," echoing glam-period David Bowie, and the Beatlesque "She Knows Everything." Like everything else on the LP, they're not groundbreaking but offer plenty of blissful nostalgic moments for the older crowd and a robust party album for the kids.
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