New album: The Jansen || Banal Semakin Binal

The Jansen may be an unusual name for an Indonesian band, but the three-piece took their name from the track Hey Jansen by Bogor legends The Kuda, a major inspiration to start the band in 2015. Now, seven years later, The Jansen return with a bang with their third full length. Without a doubt, it is their best work to date. Whereas Say Say Say (2019) and Present Continuous (2017) were full of sloppy and ramshackle charm, on Banal Semakin Binal the band’s garagey pop punk sounds tighter and more focused than before. Relative to the band’s previous output, the songs are slightly slowed down, but still uptempo. That slower pace helps to showcase the growth in the songwriting of The Jansen. What also helps is that The Jansen, for the first time, sing exclusively in their native language, and if anything, it makes the band sound more natural and comfortable.

The first single from the record, Mereguk Anti Depresan Lagi (translation: Drinking Antidepressants Again), made some waves in Indonesia. It’s one of many killer tracks on the record – my favorite track right now is Ku Bukan Mesin Lotremu, and I’m rooting for this band to achieve global acclaim. Truly, Banal Semakin Binal is packed with mid-paced pop punk hits for fans of Dirtnap and Alien Snatch Records and the late ’70s sound of Buzzcocks and Undertones. It’s a strong candidate for pop punk record of the year.

For now, the record seems to be only available on CD and Tape. Let’s hope some Western label is picking this one up for a vinyl release.

Add to wantlist: Demajors