Indulging on a steady diet of ABBA during the genesis of their new EP, Houston-based band JERK generate dark, danceable pop songs as illustrated on their self-titled debut. JERK is comprised of group mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Austin Smith along with drummer Zach Alderman and keyboardist/vocalist Vicki Lynn. Speaking on the EP, Smith states: “I originally wanted to make slow disco songs. I’d been a layer-heavy songwriter in the past and I wanted to experiment with limitation. Before, I’d use anything at my disposal to fill maximum room in a song, so for JERK I worked inside a set of rules where I couldn’t do that, which forced some inventive creativity on my end.” The result is a minimalist take on dance rock replete with eerie synthesizer swells, trippy guitar lines and mildly menacing vocals.
It’s a solid debut so don’t be a jerk — stream lead single “Accidents” below.
poetry in an empty coke can 