It Dreams (Orange/Universal)
Canadian-made industrial-lite outfit Jakalope is actually made up of 39 people. This is a problem, especially considering that most of those 39 people – including Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, Trent
Reznor, Phil Caivano (Monster Magnet), Kat Bjelland (Babes In Toyland), Thom D’Arcy (The Carnations), three-quarters of Sloan, most of the Orange Record Label roster, plus loads more – should really know better. With so many quality chefs labouring away in the kitchen, it’s remarkable that so much of It Dreams manages to sound undercooked, flavourless and stale – mannered beats, freeze-dried riffs and a musical aesthetic stamped with a best-before date from the alt-industrial
summer of ‘96. Sure, the single “Pretty Life” kicks up a respectable electro-goth racket, while the Chris Murphy/Andrew Scott-assisted “Go Away” and
“Light After Night” flash snatches of pop smarts, but singer Katie B’s breathy trills and Alanis-like phrasings are more winsome Chantal Kreviazuk balladeer than sleazy Shirley Manson robo-vixen. All told, this is one slick, professional and unabashedly commercial bank job.