Media Jeweler
$99 R/T Hawaii
FIRE TALK
5/10
Santa Ana quartet Media Jeweler insists on being referred to as a “Rock Band full stop.” After listening to the group’s full-length debut and being tempted to add prefixes like “math,” “punk,” and “post” to that label, it’s understandable why the guys might want to avoid the adjectives. The album’s DIY simplicity coupled with the jagged guitars, minimal vocals, horn section flairs, and hyperactive beats make $99 R/T Hawaii the musical equivalent of having a heart murmur; lines like “How can I leave / Modern living / More black coffee / Anxiety” capture that panicked and unsure feeling well. Clocking in at twenty-two minutes, the album zips by at just the right length to leave you confused but generally intrigued by the experience. Consider it a decent introduction to a band with leanings that point all over the compass of musical genres.
