Album Review: Béret – 'Jesus White'
‘Jesus White’ – a true representation of one on the edge and their return to safety.
Béret is the songwriting project of Seattle’s Ian Kurtis Crist. It’s his third under the Béret name, and it is an unbelievable piece of art and expression of the human psyche and emotions. Jesus White is an intense affair, but it’s not a heavy. It is a far cry from the likes of Girl Band. Crist has gone for a minimalist approach, opting for vocals, layered guitars and very little drums. Yet the songs don’t lack substance or power, and Krist is still able to develop plenty of intricate ideas in such a simple set up. It’s similar to King Krule in this sense.
Jesus White is a bizarre album at times. However, a lot of the material is strangely accessible. For instance, ‘White Hole’ has a strong Lou Reed/Velvet Underground vibe. It’s almost catchy in the same way as ‘Head Held High’. But here is a perfect example of the intricacies that Crist is able to develop magnificently: “The ‘White Hole’ is the end of the line. […] It has brought me to the gates of insanity and near death. I wasn’t willing to accept help or any sort of solution to my problems that weren't of my own creation until I had reached this “jumping off point”. This is about my living in the ‘White Hole’.”
The Lou Reed/Velvet Underground similarities don’t end there. ‘Book of Hera’ is like ‘Sunday Morning’ about the “human desire of wanting someone to save you from your struggles”. ‘Relapse’ is very White Light/White Heat and contains the brilliant lyric: “I will die while God is distracted/I condone his lack of attention.”
For those who enjoy more edge in their music will love Jesus White. The LP opens with ‘Beauty in Perversion’ which sounds like the soundtrack to a David Lynch nightmare sequence. ‘How Many People’ is reminiscent of Wire. The vocals are delivered in a rather stiff – almost robot manner – as is the guitar melody. ‘Solace’ is one of the more Avant Garde/noise tracks on the album, with a Joy Division quality to it, particularly the Closer album.
What Jesus White achieves through its minimalism is that it allows you to truly take in and appreciate the songs and the atmosphere/feeling they create. After all, Crist says: “As bleak as Jesus White flaunts itself to be at times, I do view it as a joyful and hopeful album.” And Jesus White has accomplished that beautifully.
Words by Matthew Brocklehurst