Search - Superjesus :: Sumo

Silverchair, You Am I, and Magic Dirt are all bands Aussiephiles hold dear, but Adelaide's the Superjesus are one of the most compelling groups to emerge from the land down under since Men at Work. The band's American debut, Sumo, is a melodious conglomeration of styles and moods. One minute the music bristles with tension, the next it bobs merrily like a tyke on a pogo stick or drifts sedately like a duck in a pond. Points of reference include Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, and R.E.M., but what really separates the Superjesus from the fray is vocalist Sarah McLeod, whose accomplished croon sounds like a cross between Pat Benatar and the vocalists in Veruca Salt. Sometimes the band gets too schmaltzy, as on "Now and Then," which sounds too much like the Cranberries for comfort. However, when the Superjesus combine the sweet with the spiky, balancing pop purity with rebellious rage ("Down Again," "Saturation," "Ashes"), they're truly divine. --Jon Wiederhorn