Six years on from the original Jack Frost effort, the duo returned, this
time with new Church drummer Tim Powles providing the beats and Kilbey's
brother Russell contributing bits here and there, with the equally satisfying
Snow Job. The basic principle of the first album carried through here
-- songs which don't quite fit the mold of either musician's work, solo
or in a group, and which feature regular vocal collaboration or exchanges
on most tracks. That said, there's a definite Church edge on numerous
tracks in particular, possibly due to Powles' involvement, but at base
just in the way songs like "Aviatrix" are sung and performed,
Kilbey's sense of soft vocal drama and lyrical images and subtly epic,
psych-inspired music fully to the fore. If McLennan doesn't always seem
as prominent this time out, he definitely has his moments, such as with
the grand "Angela Carter." The dramatic recitation/semi-rap
(at least in a '60s Dylan sense) he gives on "Shakedown," filtered
through a bit of production murk, adds to the claustrophobic, blasting
strut of the music, making it a brief but worthy highlight. For the most
part, Snow Job concentrates on moody, mysterious songs shot through with
sudden musical flourishes -- buried electric guitar leads and drones,
choruses that step forward from the songs, heavier crunch kicking in for
emphasis (with a good example of the latter quality on "Empire,"
which oddly enough sounds a touch inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins' "Thirty-Three").
Sometimes there's a bit more direct rock bite -- "Cousin/Angel"
offsets calmer verses with a more full-bodied chorus, while "Pony
Express" swings with a bit of glammy kick tempered by the calmer
vocals. If there's a hands-down standout, the fragile, pretty waltz "Weightless
and Wild" is it, easily a rival to the best Church songs in the same
vein and, when the electric guitars fully kick in, simply rapturous.
(by Ned Raggett, All
Music Guide)
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