Mutabor - Ja Ja

All Music Guide

Ja Ja (Yes, Yes) is the full-length follow up to 1997's Mutabor. This album contains seven tracks from the 2000 EP Das Eine so, as expected, Ja Ja retains much of the same mood and style of that sampler. After exploring quirky and neurotic alternative folk rock on their debut Mutabor has settled into a more mainstream approach to modern rock, incorporating pseudo-ska and reggae beats into their music. This is a deliberate effort to curb the impetuousness displayed so prominently earlier in their career. Considering Mutabor now records for their own Mankana label, one has to assume they are where they want to be stylistically and that their Virgin release was, perhaps, a slight aberration. Still, Ja Ja has its moments of sheer aggressiveness and, certainly, individualism. "Lisa" evokes a discernable early 80s Madness influence and "Kelch" even teases us with a brief music box intro of "Swan Lake" (which Madness recreated on One Step Beyond) but for the most part their brand of ska lies... more firmly rooted in the 90s ska revival. They don't, however, always fall into any strict categorization as many of their songs borrow from many sources. Mutabor excels in combining punk, pop, and ska into their unique sound. - Dave Sleger, All Music Guide Read more Less