Search - Jim's Big Ego :: They're Everywhere!

Pure Pop For Smart People

11/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pop-rock rarely comes in the neat combination of smart, catchy and personal consistently delivered by Jim's Big Ego, and perhaps never as consistently as on the dozen songs on the trio's latest album. Lead singer-songwriter Jim Infantino is an acute observer of contemporary social customs and behavior, and he has an uncanny knack for translating his observations into the accessible, pop equivalents of essays by Theodore Adorno and Walter Benjamin. Best line: "I'm a paranoid schizophrenic with surround-sound speakers." Second-best: "She's got a Harley she hardly ever rides." Pure pop for smart people.-- Seth Rogovoy, Berkshire Eagle"

Domestic bliss never sounded so good

ansate jones | 12/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being lucky enough to live in the Boston area and get a regular dose of Jim's Big Ego concert fun practically whenever I feel like it, I can safely say that it's a band that has close ties to its fandom, and hopefully always will. This notion has become particularly apparent to me with the release of their latest album.They're Everywhere is a mix of old and new material, but a good chunk of it should be familiar to longtime concert-goers, MP3.com frequenters, and album-buyers. "A**hole" is really "Hi-ho," a concert favorite finally recorded in the studio and given a different (and infinitely more obvious) name. "Cut Off Your Head" has been slightly reworked from the version found on the "Titanic" (live) album. "In a Bar" is a song that was conceived and born entirely from live improv. And "Mix Tape?" Just visit their official website and "egog" forum to figure out where the sentiments behind this rather anti-RIAA song came from. Jim's Big Ego is all about utilizing the internet, free downloads, and unusually liberal consumer sharing rights to increase their music listenership base. This album has a decidedly polished, upbeat feel that was lacking from previous endeavors. Songs like "The Music of You," "Math Prof Rock Star," and "Party on the Everglades" seem to hint at a certain level of comfort, ease and-- dare i say?-- domestic bliss. It's as if Jim's Big Ego has finally found its groove. As if the studio time has been one constant party that we've finally been invited to.Of course, there are still a few sad, thought-provoking songs. "Better Than You" could be construed as highhanded and preachy, but the quiet poetic simplicity of the lyrics will suck you in nevertheless. "Love What's Gone" uses the symbolic imagery of baseball to describe the loss of a loved one. But "The Ballad of Barry Allen" has struck me the hardest, even if it is just a song about a comic book character (The Flash). Jim Infantino manages once again to give a new and heart-rending perspective to a persona we thought we had figured out decades ago.Though perhaps not their best album overall, it should definitely be in any JBE fan's collection. I would anticipate that it would sit best with either longtime and loyal fans, or first-time listeners that come from a pop music fan base, like Barenaked Ladies."

Toe Tapping, brain drilling

Cara Fleming | Central MA | 11/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can't stop humming the tunes, can't stop thinking about the lyrics. Funny and smart...chic geek at its best. "What They Might Be Giants" was and "Bare Naked Ladies" aspired to. Good Stuff"