“Ugh … Musicians. They have all this talent and they never make the kind of music I would make.”
That was my initial snotty, indignant reaction to J2, the collaboration of longtime Swans’ vocalist Jarboe and industrial and post-metal pioneer Justin Broadrick. Certainly an unfair reaction. However, maybe not all that different from most people’s upon first hearing the love-child of two artists so long associated with some of the heaviest music ever made. I don’t know exactly what I wanted this album to be. Probably Cop + Streetcleaner x Songs of Love and Hate in Dub ^ Heartache? Again, unfair. You can’t expect two artists whose greatest achievements have come as the result of pushing sonic boundaries to just go into cruise control and play the hits when they come together. It’s the long, tedious and iterative creative process that accounts for both great albums and disappointing ones. Now, J2 is neither. However, that process is certainly on display, and that makes it an album worth listening.
Opener “Decay,” a solo vehicle for Jarboe, is a disposable track. It consists of an oddly dehumanized vocal line repeating throughout with minor instrumental flourishes from Broadrick. I see what they were going for, but it’s just not enjoyable to listen to. The album breaks into a nice little stride with “Let Go.” Jarboe sounds soulful and desperate and Broadrick crafts a backdrop of minimalist drums, guitar and piano loops that are perfectly suited to her recursive vocal line. These are certainly like-minded artists, and their willingness to take their time with these songs and let them grow makes for great moments. As much as I may have wanted Broderick to force the issue a little more and make something really crushing, his patience and restraint commendable.
“Magick Girl,” what I would consider the album's centerpiece and probably its strongest track, comes closest to fulfilling what most were looking for from this union. The chugging, down-tuned guitar and Broadrick-at-his-darkest minor key piano loops are offset magnificently by Jarboe’s lilting vocals. I don’t know if post-apocalyptic is a descriptor I’m comfortable with, but I’ll tell you this, I could see myself listening to this song while broodingly hover-boarding though a abandoned metropolitan complex with a leather trench coat on. “Romp” is a neat tune, if only for the grimy piano loop. Honestly, I hear the RZA in this, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard would be just as amenable to the beat as Jarboe. “8MM Sweetbitter,” another piano-loop driven tune, closes out the album in agreeable but forgettable fashion. Honestly, this is the kind of track I could see being used in the credits of Hackers II: Hack it to the Limit or some other such slick action flick.
J2 is a worthwhile album for the songwriting. It’s not a monumental record, but I respect what it has to offer. If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if Jarboe and Broderick got-together, here’s your chance to find out. It may not be exactly the kind of music you want to hear, but at least it’s the kind that gives you a glimpse into how these very talented people work.