The Jezabels - Hurt Me

Epic if straightforward, the new single from Sydney four-piece The Jezabels brings into play a Florence style pop sensibility alongside touches of Esben & The Witch-esque gothic touches. That it does so without much in the way of pompousness is to be applauded and the deftness of touch on the widescreen production ensures that ‘Hurt Me’ is anything but cluttered.

The piano is sparely deployed whist the drums race and the vocals soar. Some may be put off by the ‘big’ vocals or the fact that even after a few bars it’s more than apparent where ‘Hurt Me’ is going. But those that can see past these will be rewarded with what has the potential to be a sleeper hit thanks to a widescreen sense of drama.

It’s hard to pinpoint but there’s a kinship between The Jezabels and The Temper Trap’s mega-hit ‘Sweet Disposition’. Perhaps it’s reflective of their home down under or perhaps it’s that where one was picked up by a film soundtrack and made massive we can imagine the other doing the same. Cinematic is a word that’s applied a lot to pop music of this type for this very reason, and once again whilst it might put some off there’s doubtlessly many people that’ll be totally enamoured with their pop vision.

So, although this travels on a straight road, it’s certainly a scenic one. Those wanting detours can go elsewhere, the rest of us will sit back and enjoy this path.