First they were the most buzzed-about band in Britain, attracting rave reviews and major label attention after just a handful of gigs. Then they were the most ridiculed band in Britain, known for a singer who boasted about composing grime songs for the gamelan (that's Indonesian folk music, by the way).
And now, it looks like Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong are hoping to be crowned the most confusing band in Britain. After positive reviews for their self-titled debut album trickled in this week, the band have decided to shelve the entire thing.
Originally due for release on August 4, the band's manager told NME.com that it was recorded too early in the band's career and didn't represent them as they are now. A new LP is scheduled for release in early 2009, and this revised plan apparently has the approval of the band's label Vertigo.
They're not the only band to pull an entire album's worth of material. Panic at the Disco also ditched all the songs on their second record before embarking on the AOR weirdness of Pretty.Odd. The change of direction alienated many fans, whilst winning over some new ones. That said, at least Panic at the Disco didn't leave it quite so close to the release date before performing their about-turn.
As for the ditched Joe Lean album, it hardly reinvents the indie-pop wheel, but it is full of spiky pop numbers with strong melodies. As to why this album no longer represents the band is anyone's guess – maybe they're working on that grime/gamelan crossover after all.