CD Review: Jane's Addication's "The Great Escape Artist"

Recent years have marked the return of many 90's heroes including Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains - all of whom delivered exceptional comeback tours or albums. Following a successful series of "comeback" shows, tt comes as no surprise that JANE'S ADDICTION are back with a new record.

THE GREAT ESACPE ARTIST showcases a band that hasn't skipped a beat since their 2003 STRAYS album. In fact, THE GREAT ESCAPE ARTIST represents a quantum leap forward or backward (depending on your perspective), with many fans calling this a return to the band's pre-STRAYS form. Whatever your take on the JANE'S ADDICATION catalouge, this is a great record from start to finish.

PERRY FARRELL comes off on the whimsical side without losing his edge on my favorite tracks "Underground" and "End to the Lies". "Underground" presents an interesting view-point as FARRELL speaks of a return to his roots in the underground. Whether this is a literal reference to the state of rock 'n roll in today's music industry or some other divination of FARRELL's is not entirely clear, but the song strikes a major chord. There's a sense of tradition on this record, but instead of coming off like wanton nostalgia, the lyrical content seeks to break free of tradition by reflecting on the past and moving forward with renewed vigor.

Moving forward with vigor is exactly what JANE'S ADDICTION have managed to do. Right down to the heavy, yet often danceable grooves set by the rhythm section this album propels JANE'S ADDICTION into the present and hopefully into the beyond as well.

Overall Impression: 4.0 out of 5.0