“She’s a Genius”
from the album Shaka Rock
2009
iTunes
Nic Cester was blessed with the kind of voice that maintains a constant edge of desperation. It’s the sound of a perennial teenage boy always on the prowl and slightly worried about it. That brawny bark works perfectly for Jet‘s best songs, the ones — to paraphrase Madonna — that are about ladies with an attitude and fellas that are in the mood. The Aussie rockers’ third album has a few of those songs, including current single “She’s a Genius.“ With its rubberband riff, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh chorus, and lyrics like “Love is when you want a kiss and you get bit,” it’s classic Jet. It mashes up the heat and raunch of all their idols (AC/DC, the Stones, Cheap Trick) into one memorable track. “Beat on Repeat,” a slouchy disco amble, and the strummy, INXS-ish “Black Hearts (On Fire)” — the perfect soundtrack to the haughty runway strut of a model — are also keepers. The rest of the album is solid but less immediate. It also lacks a truly strong ballad, although closer “She Holds a Grudge” has an alluringly hazy quality. There are a couple of clunkers, including the chaotic, love-is-war opener, “K.I.A. (Killed in Action).” While not as full-throttle arresting as the band’s previous two albums, as a placeholder, Shaka certainly rocks.