Jump Back Jake

Call Me Your Man

Written by: TL on 01/12/2010 00:14:57

Let me be honest. For months now, my list of pending promos to be reviewed has been a mess, like the sort of garden one has behind one's house, but never has time to tend, hence it looks like a tangled wilderness. Tonight however, when I was supposed to be writing an important assignment, I decided I was more interested in sorting out my mess, and in getting started with reviewing promos that have been lying around here for too long.

Enter Jump Back Jake, a four-piece from Memphis, Tennessee, who have submitted their five-track EP called "Call Me Your Man" for review. The record opens with the title track being an up-beat Americana-rocker, which immediately calls for me to reference The Gaslight Anthem. Second song "If I Ever Go Back" quickly establishes diversity though, being distinctly rockabilly in nature, reminding me more of The Living Ends. "Tara" then slides the sound back towards the land of Springsteen and TGA, before "Rose Coloured Coffin" comes around. This is a slower, much more bluesy song, with soulful vocals pairing up with classically tinged rock riffs to bring about the most memorable moments of the record in my opinion. Proceedings are closed down with a reprise of the opening track, which in this version sounds like the modern country of Ryan Adams.

As for how this EP fares as an accomplishment for the band, I'd say it does quite well. The production job is crisp and good in the way that you don't really notice it because things just sound the way they should. The instrumentals reinterpret classical elements with both faith and ability, and the same goes for the singing, which sounds proficient and articulate, so nothing to complain about in those department either. I like that the band has showcased a couple of different sides to themselves via the different songs on here, and in fact, the only thing that I have to complain about, is that the disc is over so quickly that it continually leaves me with the feeling that I didn't have the time to get to know the band properly. That and the fact that I'm not sure how much original personality I sense in JBJ's interpretation of their preferred traditions in music.

However, if an album is in store, with sound as fine as this, and quality songs from all four varieties offered here, then I definetely wouldn't mind signing up for writing that review as well, pretty much because I think my doubts will come to rest easily, as long as I am presented with a more numerous and consistent array of good tunes.

7

Download: Rose-Coloured Coffin, Call Me Your Man (reprise)
For The Fans Of: The Gaslight Anthem, The Living Ends, Ryan Adams,
Listen: myspace.com/jumpbackjake

Release Date 14.09.2010
Ardent Music

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.