Jay Reatard, Matador Singles ’08

By Less Lee Moore

After seeing Jay Reatard’s name pop up all over The Big Takeover blog last year I grew curious. Then I saw he was also profiled in Spin a few times and I became suspicious. Was this more of the typical music press hype and hysteria?

What’s funny is that I’d been familiar with his name since the late ’90s, via his first band The Reatards. At that time, I was living in New Orleans and I kept hearing about them through King Louie from The Royal Pendletons. And The Reatards were on Goner, Eric Oblivian’s label. I figured those two connections would cancel out any stench of bullshit, so I did some digging.

I was stunned to find out just how prolific Jay Reatard (née Lindsey) has been in those intervening years; 50 assorted releases under various monikers . . . dude’s been seriously busy.

His latest effort, a compilation of 13 singles released through Matador Records, is intriguing just on its face. Maybe I’m totally out of touch, but who does singles anymore? Besides mainstream “artists” like Britney, Beyonce, and the like, that is. I saw it as a bit of a throwback and decided to give it a shot.

Lindsey’s faux-British/Pete Shelley-esque accent might annoy the purists, but it’s actually incredibly endearing to me. (Besides, I like Sparks.) And although at first the music might seems like nothing more that vaguely silly, lo-fi ’60s-era garage rock, with Lindsey trying to recapture something he wasn’t even around to experience firsthand, repeated listens, particularly to the lyrics, shatter this illusion.

The subject matter of “Screaming Hand” is a lot darker than what the music would imply; finding out about Lindsey’s past supports the idea that the song is not wanna-be punk posturing. And have you read the guy’s blog? You can’t fake this stuff. Even if your name is “Reatard.”

We get an indication that there’s also something deeper going on musically about two-thirds of the way into “Painted Shut” with a jagged bridge that gets up in your face. “An Ugly Death” is even better; I love the beginning, with the slow, creepy, vaguely New Wave keyboards and burgeoning guitar. I’m a sucker for that thumpy bass, too. Holy crap, it’s a guitar solo! And it fades out just like it started. Okay, this is GOOD.

I’m not sure if “You Mean Nothing To Me” is ironic or not, but I like wondering about it. Is that a mandolin? Wow. “Fluorescent Grey” is fine, but it’s the weakest track (and that’s okay, because it’s a cover).

“Trapped Here” is fantastic and reminds me of stuff I liked in the mid ’80s, like Screaming Tribesmen and other Australian garage bands. In fact, Lindsey’s been “accused” of borrowing from New Zealand bands like Tall Dwarfs and The Clean. Is it true? Who cares. Everyone is influenced by something. Besides, this is so powerful, I’m grateful that he took notes.

There’s a double sucker punch with “Hiding In My Hole” and “Dead On Arrival” collectively clocking in at less than three minutes, and kicking more ass than songs three times that length. Catchy choruses and handclaps do not waste time.

I was not expecting the last three songs to be slower and acoustic, but they are and they’re great. First, there is the gentle “No Time” and next, the Tyrannosaurus Rex beauty of “You Were Sleeping,” which shows just how much can be done with a guitar, simple percussion, and a pensive ending. It also shows that Lindsey can do more than snot-nosed punk swagger. “I’m Watching You” has probably raised a few eyebrows with its use of the dreaded C-Word but it’s said with the honesty of heartbreak, not malice.

There seems to be much Internet debate on whether Jay Reatard is a breath of fresh air, a copycat, a jock, a punk, an asshole, or a genuine talent (or a combination of all of the above), especially on YouTube where videos of him punching and kicking stage crashers are everywhere. (Hell, I’d punch and kick someone if they rushed me while I was performing.) A lot of it sounds like hipster sour grapes to me, though. The proof is in the music and the music is excellent.

With 13 songs this good, I can’t imagine what Jay Reatard could do with a full album, so I suppose I’m going to have to check out 2006’s Blood Visions next.

Jay Reatard will be playing in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe through the end of March. Word on his MySpace page is that his new album is almost done.