Dripping heavy, cascading walls of sound, U.K. shoegazing trio Jesu — helmed by Justin Broadrick, with Diarmuid Dalton and Ted Parsons in tow — churn out static-edged mini-epics (no track off upcoming album Conqueror, out Feb 20 via Hydra Head, clocks in under the 5:45-minute mark). The shortest track on that album, “Old Year,” is one of its most meticulously muddled, with Broadrick’s echoing vox serving as another whirring layer of instrumentation.
Through the heavy, off-kilter drone, Broadrick insists on the song’s optimistic tint. “‘Old Year’ concerns those who consistently meditate negatively on the past and can never seem to make a brighter future for themselves,” the singer told SPIN.com. “But it’s a positive song where I proclaim, ‘I believe in the new year’ — I believe in looking forward and being positive in the face of adversity, not wallowing selfishly in it looking for sympathy.”
Now Hear This:
Jesu – “Old Year” DOWNLOAD MP3
On the Web:
Jesu at avalancheinc.co.uk
Talk: What does the new year hold for Jesu?
