God Save Us Poor Sinners

On their first domestic release, God Save Us Poor Sinners, the on-again/off-again British duo of Nikki Sudden and Dave Kusworth (a.k.a. The Jacobites) offer another solid collection of stories about the ups and downs of life. The album is dedicated to the late Epic Soundtracks (Sudden's brother and the original drummer for The Jacobites), and sounds musically similar to their previous work -- gritty rock & roll comparable to Johnny Thunders, early Rolling Stones, and The Replacements. But The Jacobites also compose melodic pop tunes as well; "Never Apart" uses organ prominently and sounds quite similar to Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." Also included is the rip-roaring holiday anthem "Teenage Christmas," the Iggy Pop/Kill City-sounding "God Save Us," as well as the tranquil "The Wishing Well." First released in Europe, the U.S. version of God Save Us Poor Sinners contains a different mix and artwork and has a few bonus tracks not on the original. Longtime fans of Nikki Sudden will not be disappointed. ~ Greg Prato|