(Jar Records)
Made up of a group
Cumbrian singer songwriters and musicians coming together to form a
collective of sorts, The Jar Family centres around six core members
with a larger family coming and going for their live shows. They
bring together blues, folk and country with a streamlined 70s classic
rock drive. As good as that sounds, for the most part their second
album Jarmalade is a by the numbers affair. A pub rock band in
style and substance.
It isn't to say its
all bad though. Moya Moya is a fun tune you can imagine having a
drunken jig to in a bar, the lyrics are performed with a suitably
strained delivery as a bunch alcoholic drinks are name checked as it
stumbles along, held up by its ramshackle country blues rhythm. Tell
Me Baby keeps the scruffy rhythms going and the track's back and
forth lyrics sound reminiscent of The Libertines more together
moments, its jaunty beat surrounded by duelling harmonica and guitars
in its final moments. But unfortunately it all gets worse from there.
Where Do You Come
From Babe? sounds like Bob Dylan's It Ain't Me Babe crossed with
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, that is if he'd run out of good
lines from his scrapbook. It gets a little more interesting when a
female voice enters but unfortunately the lyrics don't improve. In
fact there's no lyrical flair on display here, there are no metaphors
or symbolism, everything is just literal, with any attempts at soul
searching end up being about as deep as a puddle. On top of that, the
record is filled with distracting studio trickery, including an over
reliance on EQ'd backing vocals, a cheesy and overused technique that
doesn't fit in at all with the bands sound.
Despite trying, I
couldn't get the idea that Waiting There For You sounded like Flight
of the Conchords' Ladies of the World out of my head as the line
'You're a beautiful lady/Picking petals of a daisy' repeated,
and its just as cheesy though, I assume, that was not intent.
Elsewhere, Tears We Cried sounds like the kind of ballad that Axl
Rose could've written when Guns 'n' Roses were at their most bloated
and overblown.
Is God My Witness
examines religion with all the bite of Christian rock and might be
the albums low point, but its not the only offender for poorly
thought out lyrics. The band mostly stick to obvious rhyme schemes,
leading to some absolutely awful lyrics, by far the worst element in
this group. From Paint Me a Picture's poorly thought out social
commentary or the perils of social networking on You'll Never Know,
its not so much a scathing criticism as much as obvious pot shots.
We need more bands
that a rough round the edges, just as at home playing in a small bar as they
are larger venues, but I don't know if this band is up to the task.
Its all just harmless pub rock, and there is plenty of competent
musicianship at hand and a great range of vocals. Maybe if I was in a
small crowded pub in an inebriated state my opinion would change, but
on record The Jar Family are just a bit bland.
Originally posted on figure8magazine.co.uk
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