JAY’S PUB - Begging For A Break

Jay’s Pub - Begging For A Break

10 songs
52:44 minutes
***** **
(DIY)

Bandpage

They started out like many other local bands, trying to leave their mark by playing alternative rock, but then must have discovered that they lacked something special which incited them to recruit classically trained vocalist Simone and electric violinist Adele. With roots firmly in rock music, Jay’s Pub are far from just being an electrified folk band. Instead the combine crunchy rock songs with vocals that sometimes verge on the operatic and screaming violins that underline their music’s general feeling of anxiety.

My first impression was that they sound like String Driven Thing fronted by Lene Lovich, but these Seventies references probably don’t make much sense when you consider the young age of the artists involved. The Charles Manon production and Keule mastering make sure that Jay’s Pub sound powerful and transparent, giving their songs the necessary drive to convince a rock crowd that classical and folk influences don’t necessarily have to mean that you water down your music. You might get that impression on the middle part of the album, but Jay’s Pug again convince with Heaven’s Prophet, a slower composition, which is followed by the even quieter You May Thank Your Stars which sees Simone accompanied only by a piano. Could have drifted into kitsch, but her professional voice makes this a moving highlight on the album.

Jay’s Pub have released an astonishingly good debut that may not yet show their whole potential. The vocals, as perfect as they are delivered, might need some tonal variety, the songwriting needs more catchy moments, and a few more quiet pieces would not have done any harm, considering how well they pull the few on this album off. The concluding folk song Madame Rosa including a hidden bonus track (yawn for the concept!) leave me cold. Apart from these minor observations, Begging For A Break is an original gem that alternative rock with a knack for the different should keep an eye on.

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