Jobber - “Hell in a Cell”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Babehoven, Wednesday, Great Grandpa

It’s probably a niche set of ears that hears Mankind threatening to take down a band in a Hell in a Cell match in track one and says LFG. As an unabashed fan of pro wrestling, the themes in Jobber’s debut Hell in a Cell connect, but the twist is the band’s garage rock/pop sound is interesting and moving as well. Power pop songwriting is embellished with fuzz and reverb, disguising the heart and musicianship within Jobber’s music with big riffs and energy. Wrestling at its best does exactly the same with subtle gestures often carrying the most weight and using spectacle to tell a story that can relate somehow to day-to-day lives of their audiences. The songs on Hell in a Cell are more sensitive than pressing and surprisingly complex. Bedroom rock sparsity plays a key part in these little moments on Jobber’s songs, quickly enveloped by sound before coming together with pop precision. All this technical talk aside, Jobber is a fun rock and roll band that is committed and passionate, an under-the-radar act that should own unsuspecting listeners at SXSW as these songs should pop even more on a grimy live stage. (Kevin McStravick)