OIKS isn’t necessarily the return of Jebediah, who have been consistently active in the time since their last record, but rather, a snapshot of where the band find themselves in the current era.
Among early triple j listeners and the Aussie pub-rock circuit of the 90s, Jebediah are regarded as punk-rock royalty. And rightfully so. The group consistently maintained an impressive live show, and their songwriting has always been a cut above the rest, giving their early releases a longevity that many other acts from the same era struggled to attain.
Despite the broadening of their fan base over three decades, Jebediah has remained true to their origins, with almost every album under their belt channelling the same sticky floor, dingy pub-rock energy that the group cut their teeth on.
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
On their latest release OIKS, Jebediah continue to push their iconic punk rock trajectory, although this time around, they try their hand at something new. ‘Bad For You’ toys with reverb-laden shoegaze crescendos while ‘Gum Up The Bearing’ impressively adds the distinction of brass without ever straying into ska-punk territory. Both ‘Rubberman’ and ‘Aqua-Lung’ dabble in Radiohead-inspired psych-drone.
It’s equal parts experimental and familiar, propelling Jebediah’s enduring vision while also sticking true to their punk-rock roots that we all fell in love with in the 90s. Sure, it may not be as disenchanted as the group’s earlier material, but after almost 30 years, you’d be damn well hoping that Kevin Mitchell wasn’t writing with the same level of teen angst that he was in his early twenties.
The forthcoming record – their first new album since 2011’s Kosciuszko – will arrive on April 12th, 2024, with pre-orders available now via Cooking Vinyl Australia.
