Jaill | That’s How We Burn

Most Likely To: give new meaning to the phrase “Milwaukee’s Best.”

When Jagger sang, “It’s only Rock ‘n Roll / but I like it” back in 1974, he probably wasn’t talking about the Milwaukee quartet Jaill, but he could have been. Jaill does not make revolutionary music. Instead Vincent Kircher (vocals, guitar), Austin Dutmer (drums), Andrew Harris (bass) and Ryan Adams (guitar) specialize in perfectly executed, tenacious power pop. That’s How We Burn, the foursome’s 2nd full-length (and Sub Pop debut), is packed with well-honed hooks and snappy, ambivalent lyrics.

Jaill’s collective groove on “The Stroller” is so tight, it’s hard to believe their line up was finalized (with the addition of Adams) only after the release of their debut, There’s No Sky (Oh My My), in 2009. “Everyone’s Hip” jangles and bops, while “On the Beat” has a little ‘slap and tickle,’ and should please anyone let down by the recent Squeeze reunion. On the mostly acoustic “Summer Mess,” Kirchner’s songwriting shows how much he can do with less. Like They Might Be Giants sans jokes (“She’s My Baby”) or Sloan with variety, That’s How We Burn is the rare album that hasn’t got a bad track.

At the moment the Jaill is on the road with The Hold Steady before playing a few dates with Jenny and Johnny. Those headliners better watch their back because sharing a stage with Jaill is as dangerous as acting with children or animals–those big names are gonna get upstaged.

Watch the video for “The Stroller” from Jaill: