Jim's Big Ego present a comic and heartwarming musical meadow of varying accessibility throughout this album. They exude a wonderful and timeless youthful, yet wry take on life. This is demonstrated well in - 'They're Everywhere' with the deliberately juxtaposed, contradictory and paranoid lines; 'I am a xenophobic tapioca-phobe & a claustrophobic agora-phobe' & 'I know you think they are all out to get you, but they are really out to get me...can't you see?'. This humor and intelligent 'out of the box' writing is also present on the short, catchy and absolutely delightful; 'Math Prof Rock Star'

The cleverly processed idea of; 'Mix Tape' with the line; 'This song could be between two of your favorites, in the middle of the B-side of your mixtape, you got it off of the web, burned it onto a disc and bounced it onto a cassette because its an old car. This gloriously melancholy, yet ultimately rather hopeful and joyous song is a credit to the bands structuring and intelligence.

'Lucky' is a little repetitive but it is this kind of honest irreverent humor and writing that allow this band to ascend some way above the Tenacious D's of this world. The slower numbers that are perhaps slightly less imaginative, at least musically can become rather tedious. A good example of this would be; 'Party On The Everglades'. If you can imagine a less catchy version of The Presidents of the USA - then you may be able to nail Jim's Big Ego down slightly. However the acoustic, roots influenced 'Asshole' is far more brutally honest than anything the aforementioned band would have produced. Whereas the laid back vibe of; 'Better Than You' is chock full of un-jarring chord progressions and homely vocals.

'The Ballad Of Barry Allen' is an unquestionably beautiful song - with the moody intro and bracing percussion. It lyrically explores the darker and more melancholy side of a hero's life; leaving you with the feeling of rain on a dry day as the clouds gather over head and the sky grows close - a true songwriting masterpiece. 'In A Bar' provides some entertainment but is fairly forgettable when following such an epic and imaginative song. Thankfully 'The Music Of You' provides a wealth of country sensibilities and a rather progressive rhythm that drives the track at a most enjoyable pace.

Jim's Big Ego have produced an interesting, occasionally moving and often flippantly entertaining album. As a whole it is lacking certain elements that would otherwise allow it to leave a far greater impact. What it does offer however is a selection of moving, funny and exceedingly honest and ultimately likeable songs that no other bands are producing right now. Because they are a member of the Creative Commons you can individually download tracks from the band's website and share accordingly whilst offering donations. This goes to prove how revolutionary these gentlemen are - So why not take a look at the standout tracks below and start from there?

Standout Tracks: 'They're Everywhere!', 'Mix Tape', 'Math Prof Rock Star' & 'The Ballad of Barry Allen'.


Added: March 18th 2004

Reviewer: Liam Thomson

Score: ***