Album Review: Jim Bob - "Who Do We Hate Today?"

 

Well that was quick. When Jim Bob made his long overdue return last year with the Pop Up album, I don't think anyone predicted that 2022 would see him already making a follow-up but clearly the guy is keen on making hay while the sun shines.

While Pop Up was a pretty dark album, Who Do We Hate Today? sees Jim Bob staring even more intently into the abyss, despairing at what this country has become in 2021. Shona Is Dating A Drunk, Woman-Hating Neanderthal Man, #prayfortony and Men see him railing against bigoted white male privilege and the ultra-dark six minute A Random Act sees him furiously spitting bile against social media ghouls when tragedy strikes ("Today's thoughts and prayers are tomorrow's gifs and jokes"). 

There's the odd more tender moment on here - former single Song For The Unsung is a quite lovely tribute to those who kept the country running through the lockdown (a marked contrast to the song before it The Summer Of No Touching which is a bolt of righteous fury against the anti-vaxx conspiracy brigade) and Karen (Is Thinking Of Changing Her Name) is a sympathetic ode to victims of stereotyping. But by and large, this is arguably the darkest collection of songs Jim Bob has ever put his name to.

Who Do We Hate Today? is anything but an easy listen and certainly it takes a fair bit more time to get your head around it than Pop Up did. But it's still a more than worthy album with Jim Bob very much sticking his neck out and shouting from the (Tulse) hillside about the injustices in society just as well as he always has. Certainly don't expect the immediate pop sensibilities with a darker message that were Carter USM's calling card, this is very much an album that wears its dark heart on its sleeve with no fear. 

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)