Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

Aw, shit! Jane's Addiction are back from the grave and sounding fresher than nearly any new band around - who could've expected this, really? "Just Because" (the first single from the forthcoming Strays, their first new studio album in 12 years) roars and boxes and weaves and says to all comers, "ya think ya gonna take me? Think again, punk! Daddy's back in town!" Let's not forget that Jane's themselves laid a lot of the groundwork for the revolution in "alternative/modern" rock vis-a-vis Lollapalooza, but after such a long layoff (and Americans' typically short memories), they've got something to prove - and they prove and show it. Perry Farrell and (sex god) Dave Navarro are revitalized, ripping their way through "Just Because" with a renewed sense of purpose, not sounding like the Jane's of old but still sounding like only Jane's can. This is immediately the best rock single of '03 out of the box, a beast of a record steamrolling its way towards your submission, whipping you like Indiana Jones, making you believe all over again, maybe even better than "Stop!" All hail rock'n'roll! At long last, a reunion that lives up to its (immense) promise.