Some listeners live for the shock of the new. They live for the thrill and the rush that, over the years, people have gotten from artists who were truly fresh and cutting-edge in their time -- for example,
the Sex Pistols,
the Ramones, and
the Clash in the late '70s;
Charlie Parker and
Thelonious Monk in the '40s;
the Beatles and
Jimi Hendrix in the '60s;
Run-D.M.C. and
Public Enemy in the '80s; or
Nirvana and
Pearl Jam in the early '90s. But realistically, not every artist who comes along is going to be cutting-edge; inevitably, there will also be many artists who achieve quality even though they aren't doing anything groundbreaking or shockingly original. This 2005 release indicates that
Harsh Krieger (so named because their head honchos are lead singer Jake Harsh and lead guitarist Jesse Krieger) are such a band. Nothing on this self-titled debut album will go down in history as innovative; their alternative pop/rock (which draws on influences that include
U2 and
Coldplay) doesn't take alternative pop/rock in any new directions. But in terms of quality and songcraft,
Harsh Krieger come through. Their songs are accessible, hooky, well constructed, and enjoyably melodic, and Jake Harsh is a capable vocalist who has obviously learned a thing or two from longtime
U2 frontman Bono (without being a flat-out clone).
Harsh Krieger are an American band, but they're an American band whose primary inspirations come from the British Isles. Again, this isn't a CD that will forever change the face of alternative pop/rock, but it's a noteworthy and worthwhile, if derivative, debut for Jake Harsh and his colleagues. ~ Alex Henderson