Did You Miss Me? Forgotten Classics by Denis Hickie

Jesse Malin

The Fine Art Of Self-Destruction

Okay, so this 2003 work by New York’s Jesse Malin probably doesn’t fall under the title ‘classic,’ but it has always been one of the albums in my collection that I turn to if I want a bit of honest rock/singer-songwriter mix.

Produced by Ryan Adams and featuring contributions from, among others, Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole and Adams himself, the music has a distinctly personal feel throughout. You can almost see Malin sitting in his dingy Lower East Side apartment scribbling it all down. While the whole album is pretty solid, it does have three or four standout tracks.

 ‘Queen of the Underworld’ is an easy, melodic start to proceedings, followed by ‘TKO’, in which Malin’s nasal style is more pronounced. My personal favourite is ‘Brooklyn,’ a song about breaking up from a very New York perspective. Acoustic guitar, piano and organ blend seamlessly together, with bittersweet results.

I’ve seen Malin on a few of the many occasions he has played in Dublin, and he always entertains. He certainly thinks he’s a rock star – and that’s half his charm.

Oh, and if you find yourself in the East Village, drop into his bar Niagara on 7th and A to quench you thirst. There are worse ways to end the week.