Midget Jesus

23 September, 2002

CD Review: Midget Jesus

MIDGET JESUS
Partial Eclipse Records
What Would Midget Jesus Do?
10-song CD 

Midget Jesus' debut disc jangles with as much witty, wry self-deprecation as any Violent Femmes record, to pretty good effect. Guitarist/singer David Fieldhouse sings in a decidedly Gordan Gano-like voice, winsome and unaffected. The melodies are fun, the instrumentation simple but effective, and as a debut disc, What Would Midget Jesus Do? is a keeper. A light touch on production by Sir David Minehan leaves plenty of room for the schmaltzy feel-good energy that we expect from a good pop punk record.
Critique? Midget Jesus isn't as adventurous as they could be. The songs tend toward a ho-hum same-iness that, given how closely they sometimes align to Femmes-like tone and feel, just makes me yearn for the desperate intensity and cheeky forays into country, blues and folk of a Hallowed Ground. I get the distinct impression that Midget Jesus ambles off in a reckless direction and then thinks better of it. They start with a smart-ass punky whimsical song idea, but then subscribe to that frat boy party band thing adored by fans of bands like Ruby Horse. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I hear more potential in Midget Jesus to do something with more bite. This record takes no chances. What that probably means is that the live show is a blast. Will definitely give alms to the church of Midget Jesus and check that out. (midgetjesus.com)