Jobber – Jobber To The Stars | Album Review
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Exploding In Sound Records
For every generational talent that the world of professional wrestling has produced, there are dozens of other lesser-known wrestlers that have slipped through the cracks. For every “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, or John Cena, there is an unsung titan like the Brooklyn Brawler, The Oddities, or the comedic parody firestorm that was Gillberg. For these lesser-known performers, their role was often losing matches to the bigger-name wrestlers, propping them up as the superstars they were meant to be. Within the art form, these designated losers are known as “jobbers,” and even though they are looked down upon by millions of fans tuning in, there’s a certain beauty in sacrificing yourself for the 1… 2… 3… pin. It’s a selfless act to put others before yourself for the greater good of the spectacle, all to benefit another wrestler in hopes of elevating your own career down the road.
Kate Meizner, Michael Falcone, Michael Julius, and Miles Toth, the wrestling super fans that they are, appreciate the plight of the underdog. Entering the squared circle by way of Brooklyn, New York, a sludge-pop band by the name of Jobber was born in the early 2020s. The group’s first offering was an EP titled Hell In A Cell, named after the devilish steel cage match that’s been a fixture of WWE since the late ‘90s. Throughout that five-song collection, Jobber displayed a potent combo of both hooky pop songs and power guitar riffs, sounding as if a tag team was formed between The Breeders and Helmet.
Jobber To The Stars, Jobber’s full-length debut, finds the band joyfully elbow-dropping into the alternative rock era of the past that still resonates with so many people today. The opening track “Raw Is War” is named after the longest-running weekly episodic television show of all time, which WWE commentator Michael Cole routinely reminds the viewing audience every Monday, by threat of a cattle prod by the higher-up executives if he refuses. The song is a steel chair shot over the head from the opening bell, complete with gnarly riffs intertwined with bubbly sweet melodies. Meizner has all kinds of mental imagery running throughout her writing, from a snake eating its tail to lines like “hanging on by the skin of your own teeth.” Just when you think the track has run its course, there’s a killer guitar outro that sounds downright apocalyptic.
Wrestling is a fascinating spectacle where the performers depend on connection with the audience in order to rise through the ranks in a company. Great wrestlers have larger-than-life personas that develop cult followings that are everlasting, even decades after they hang up the spandex. Professional wrestler Brian Pillman, known for having a chaotic typhoon of a personality, lived a tragic life – he had to constantly live up to the character he had built himself up to be, not only on the screen, but in real life as well. “Pillman’s Got A Gun” is a slow-burning track dedicated to the ‘90s wrestler, accompanied by vicious guitar riffs that are executed with precision. It’s Jobber’s version of a ballad, coming out of the gate at a slower pace, but gradually ratcheting up the tempo as the song progresses. Meizner’s silky smooth vocals singing, “It just takes one shot to kill me,” is in reference to the moment when Brian Pillman, in-character, tried to shoot “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for breaking into his house. Yes, ‘90s wrestling television was as wild as it sounds.
For all the commitment Jobber made to the wrestling aesthetic, it’s worth mentioning that listeners don’t need to be a mark to enjoy this album. You don’t have to know what a Lou Thesz Press is or know the importance of Bret “The Hitman” Hart; wrestling itself is being used as a device for the band to discuss real-life problems that we all have encountered. Take the grungy cut “Summerslam” for example, in which Meizner compares a guy manipulating women to an arachnid “Spin webs and calculating, spider waiting, catching its prey.” A couple of tracks later, “Million Dollar Man” is bursting with enough energy to fuel a three-mile run; the topic at hand is not Ted DiBiase, but about dating someone who is like a failed summer blockbuster flop.
Outside of these interpersonal takedowns, Jobber also write about how the corporate world is hell on earth. On the jangly power pop single “Nightmare,” Meizner sings about full-of-shit CEOs, the colossal weight of being an overworked/underpaid employee, and getting talked over by switched-on bros. Her lyrics are an accurate depiction of what everyday people suffer through on a daily basis, forced to work for companies whose primary objective, nine times out of ten, is corporate greed. Waking up at the crack of dawn every morning, clocking in for a passionless job, all the while knowing that the company you’re breaking your back for couldn’t care less about you, is a type of Sisyphean hell relatable to everyone from professional wrestlers to the person reading this.
Penultimate track “HHH” is named after the legendary wrestler in charge of WWE, and is a cerebral display of perfectly paced riffs that hammer home into a sludge-filled guitar solo that is one of the best on the whole record. Each song consistently has big guitar hero riffs on display with sweet honeycomb melodies that stick in your mind like double mint gum. Jobber created a throwback alt-rock vibe that strives for each song to belong on the A Block of MTV’s Alternative Nation.
The way Jobber uses wrestling as a guise to delve into larger issues is executed in such a clever way that it makes me want to keep hitting repeat to see what other themes I can pick up on. When you peel back the curtain, there are detailed layers not only behind the powerful production, but also within the lyrics being sung. Through thoughtfully smart songwriting and powerful alt-focused ‘90s riffs, Jobber makes a memorable debut from the opening bell to the closing pin.
David is a content mercenary based in Chicago. He's also a freelance writer specializing in music, movies, and culture. His hidden talents are his mid-range jump shot and the ability to always be able to tell when someone is uncomfortable at a party. You can find him scrolling away on Instagram @davidmwill89, Twitter @Cobretti24, or Medium @davidmwms.
