Ten Shekel Shirt

It has been five years since Ten Shekel Shirt released an album because their songwriter, Lamont Hiebert, was otherwise occupied. Having spent his hiatus founding Love146, a non-profit organisation dedicated to ending child slavery and exploitation, it’s hard to condemn Hiebert for his noble aspirations. But it seems like during that time he listened almost exclusively to Snow Patrol because Jubilee bears more than a passing similarity to the Scottish band’s recent work. That said, they do a pretty good job of making that kind of music and combined with his heartfelt lyrics, which reflect his experiences working with Love146, it isn’t a terrible record by any means. By wearing his heart on his sleeve, Hiebert has made an album that lacks subtlety and that could potentially lead to this being labelled simply "Christian rock,” or worse, considered too preachy. With a lighter touch and a bit more of his personality, Jubilee might have been a more interesting proposal but at the moment it is more notable for who it almost sounds like rather than its merits.