Brazil almost has a first-class production

Jets to Brazil's Perfecting Loneliness has all the elements of classic emo. It has the sensitive, sometimes mushy lyrics, time and key signature changes and perpetually upbeat nature.\nIn addition, former Jawbox frontman J. Robbins produced this album, and he has proven to be the emo producer of the moment, working with everyone from Actionslacks to the Dismemberment Plan to Braid. Jets to Brazil is on Jade Tree Records, a label that has specialized in emo bands like The Promise Ring and Pedro the Lion.\nThankfully, Jets to Brazil is not yet an emo cliché. Just when frontman Blake Schwarzenbach begins to get a little too into his navel-gazing, bandmates Jeremy Chatelain, Chris Daly and Brian Maryansky push the music along. Chatelain was the guitarist in his previous band, Texas Is the Reason, but in this band, he's the bassist, and his propulsive playing keeps Schwarzenbach from getting too philosophical.\nOftentimes, powerful balladry results. On "Psalm," Schwarzenbach apologizes to a former lover, with the music reaching a forceful crescendo at the end as he wonders if he is a victim of fate. On the extremely pretty "Lucky Charm," Schwarzenbach takes the it's-not-you-it's-me approach: "How long will it take / Before I wake up unafraid / To take you in my arms / And hold you like a lucky charm."\nUnfortunately, this 67-minute album occasionally rambles, as ballads weigh down the midsection of the CD. It takes off, so to speak, when the band decides to rock. "The Frequency" shows the group starting and stopping gracefully without lurching. "You're the One that I Want" is the band's most straightforward song, with a great, simple chorus. The title track employs the grandeur of space, with Schwarzenbach longing for another woman to captivating effect.\nSchwarzenbach's previous band Jawbreaker -- not to be confused with Robbins' band, Jawbox -- once opened for Nirvana, and today he is considered one of the godfathers of the modern emo movement. His unabashed appreciation of the form, both good and bad, and his convictions make this a recommendable exercise.