Review: Jesse Malin Re-records Debut Solo Release on 20th Anniversary

Jesse Malin
The Fine Art of Self Destruction (expanded reissue)
(MNRK Heavy)
4 out of 5 stars

Nothing substitutes for experience, and singer/songwriter Jesse Malin has plenty of it.

As a teenager, he was in his first professional band, Heart Attack, then graduated to the glam-rocking D Generation as a twenty-something and finally took the plunge into solo artistry with The Fine Art of Self Destruction in 2003. He was 35 at the time and spent most of his life touring, playing music, and learning the often cutthroat ways of the business through trial and error.

D Generation fans that thought Malin might continue in that band’s harder-edged New York Dolls style on his debut were likely surprised and some perhaps disappointed that this was quite a departure. Rather, with Ryan Adams, at the time an up-and-coming star post-Whiskeytown, taking production duties, Malin channeled his gritty rock attitude into more introspective singer/songwriter territory.

The resulting The Fine Art of Self Destruction put Malin on the map and has been followed by plenty more in a similar vein. Now, on its 20th anniversary, he celebrates those songs with this expanded reissue. Instead of just remastering the audio and adding a handful of demos, B-sides, or live rarities, Malin re-recorded the set, all of it, with his current band.

It’s an unusual move because the first version, tracked in a furious six days, never felt dated, rushed, or poorly produced. Malin’s voice though has taken on a fuller, arguably more mature presence in the twenty-year gap. His vocals remain instantly recognizable for their slightly arrogant yet genuine vibe. These new versions bring a fresh approach to material written at a crucial time of his life as he was pursuing a solo course on which he remains.

Selections such as the bittersweet “Downliner,” now appended as “Downliner (Afterglow Version)” feel more lived-in even if the alterations and updated arrangements aren’t major.  Still, there are significant revisions. “Almost Grown” loses some of its pop affectations to become darker, while remaining one of the disc’s most melodically peppy tracks. The title ballad now shifts to a far more ruminative reflection with a stripped-down, unadorned piano structure that suits its lyrics of self-destruction well.

Fans will relish comparing both performances on this double-disc offering. But even those new to the 2003 collection will find these songs, some of Jesse Malin’s finest and most genuine, to be moving and sincere regardless of which version they’re attracted to.

This somewhat unusual reimagining of an already classic album, packaged with its original, is a win-win for both artist and audience.  

Photo by Vivian Wang/Kid Logic Media