Speaking of albums celebrating their 30th birthday this year (see Manic Monday), often lost in the sea of great records from 1994 is Jawbox’s career highlight For Your Own Special Sweetheart. In fairness, 1994 was stacked with fantastic albums from iconic bands like Nine Inch Nails and Pearl Jam, along with breakout albums from Green Day and The Offspring, not to mention game-changing debuts from the likes of Korn and Beck (just to name a few), so it’s easy to see how Jawbox likely slid under most folk’s radar at the time (that’s some serious competition!)
That said, after recently dusting off For Your Own Special Sweetheart and giving it a fresh spin, it’s fair to say it’s held up remarkably well over the years. Jawbox always had a distinctly raw, post-hardcore flavored approach to alternative rock, which made them unique among all the other similar bands at the time, and on For Your Own Special Sweetheart, they successfully incorporated more pronounced rhythm and melody into their attack to create something truly “special”. A very good band that should not be slept on when discussing all the greatness that constituted 1994, as this performance of “Savory” from the same year aptly demonstrates:
