Jellyfish
Spilt Milk
1993
A brute force of power pop, the glam rockers of Jellyfish were overshadowed by flannel-clad grunge bands popular at the time of their '93 release of Spilt Milk, a symphonic gem that features heavily layered guitars, organs and Queen-like harmonies. Avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump was no challenge for the band, who outshone their debut album Bellybutton, with Jon Brion (of When the Pawn. and, more recently, Graduation fame) filling the gap left by the departure of band members Jason Falkner and Chris Manning.
Particularly notable is "New Mistake," a poppy, orchestral tune about an illegitimate child that beautifully displays falsettos in the undulations of a catchy melodic line. Offsetting the record's powerful anthems is the lullaby "Russian Hill," featuring rich vocal arrangements and a refreshingly sparse instrumental.
Although Jellyfish weren't exactly offering anything new (they've been compared to laundry lists of classic bands), they nailed the formula for creating the ever elusive, perfect pop song.
- Jane Shim
