More about: Connan Mockasin

Listening to Connan Mockasin’s Jassbusters Two raises a simple question: how different does a sequel actually need to be to distinguish itself from its predecessor?

Jassbusters was Mockasin’s 2018 concept album about a make-believe band of music teachers involved in some sort of romantic sounding teacher-student relationship. Musically, Jassbusters (which is also the name of the fictional band) was laid back, sleazy and filled with guitars noodling dainty melodies over slow, deep grooves. Despite glimmering moments such as the brilliant opener ‘Charlotte’s Thong’, and a nice collaboration with James Blake, the record felt flat. It was a curious and interesting work from the New Zealand native that felt rushed at times: unsurprising given that it was recorded in just over a week. 

This week, Mockasin and his band return with the follow up, which just feels a bit too much like the first. Opener ‘Jass Two’ is built on all the same tropes of the first record—mellow grooves and sensual guitar twanging to send you into a trance before fizzing out, leaving you unsure if you actually want more.

‘K is For Classical’, built on classical modes played on a Spanish guitar, is pleasant whilst lead single 'Flipping Poles' is captivating. In the same vein as the first Jassbusters record, the lyrics here are improvised. This concept across both records is fascinating, the idea being that Mockasin plays the role of the guitar teacher in the band who is pushed into being the singer, and who hasn’t come prepared with lyrics.

Credit must be given: even if it is impossible to make out what Mockasin is singing, he has a brilliant way of weaving melodies into the songs, using his falsetto as if it is another member of his fictional band. Whilst this works well on ‘Flipping Poles’, it does the opposite on ‘In Tune’, a tough listen as Mockasin’s vocals dangle (deliberately?) between in and out of tune. Perhaps the title is ironic.

The remaining three tracks are more of the same: pretty—particularly ‘She’s My Lady’—but lacking substance. The narrative of the after school teachers band is a brilliant concept, but one that is far too difficult to follow, even with the lyrics written down in front of you. If you could wrap your head around it in the way that Mockasin probably hopes, the record would likely be more enjoyable.

Jassbusters Two is too good to sound like the B-sides from its predecessor, but it’s difficult to view it as anything more than a pleasant continuation of the original Jassbusters. They share the same highlights, and unfortunately for fans of Mockasin, the same problems.

Jassbusters 2 arrives 5 November via Mexican Summer.

More about: Connan Mockasin