Jesse & The Rockers
T.I.N.
Reviewed by Gregg Cole
From the opening salvo of "Tradition," Jesse & The Rockers stake their territory quickly: With tightly-wound, no frills, punk pop the band tells us they don't have time to be judged by the conservative nay-sayers--they're too busy sharing the Gospel and breaking down the barriers between the Church and the disenfranchised. The lyrics are as upfront as could be: "Great Tom" celebrates being saved; "Kendall" is a proposal to a girl who loves Jesus; "Abstain" is a reminder that true love waits; and "Fired Up" urges a friend to take that step and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. There are also songs that speak to the normal, non-spiritual facets of a person's life ("Birthday Boy," "Snowhite"). And there are songs where Jesse & The Rockers stretch themselves, both musically (such as the dreamy "Superstar Dreamboy") and lyrically (the melancholy "Suzane"), indicating they have promise to grow. The songs move by at such a fast clip they at times seem to have about 10 words--but they're presented with such enthusiasm, and the Rockers are tight enough, that the ride is still effective. In all, Jesse & The Rockers have a strong album with T.I.N., and the extra touches could be a promise that this is only the beginning.