Although there is a clear nod to the “blonde pop” scene of the late eighties running through Jody and the Jerms sound, I prefer to think of them more as being torchbearers and custodians of the art of making a particular sort of robust pop music that we seem to have lost somewhere along the way.
That original scene might have been a small and relatively short-lived movement (and, like most scenes, probably only the creation of lazy journalists), but its main protagonists— Transvision Vamp, The Darling Buds and *The Primitives*—left us some memorable sounds. It is in this vein that JATJ picks up the baton and runs with it into the future.
Of course, being fronted by a blonde female singer was only one thing, and the least important, that such bands had in common; the other, more essential elements were the likes of accessible songwriting, big pop hooks, a certain sonic weight garnered from indie and rock quarters, and an ability to deliver the goods when treading the boards. Tick, tick, tick and…tick!
As “Hooch and Happiness” kicks the album off, anyone who witnessed the charm and creativity, the lilting pop and spiralling hooks, the drive and buoyancy of the aforementioned Darling Buds will find plenty familiar. But following it with the more dynamic ebbs and flows of “Some Day” and the oriental flavours of “Divine” reminds us that there is more new here than just a retread of what has gone before—much more.
“Seen It All Before” is full of Bangles jangle and a lush haziness, perhaps suggesting that had chronology and distance not been an issue, the American Paisley Underground movement and the Blonde Pop sound would have been joined at the hip. Hip being the operative word!
The horn-infused “Unravelling” has to be one of the most instantly smile-inducing songs of the year, the perfect blend of groove and grace. “Liberation” rocks along on a slightly sixties, psychedelic vibe, and “I Don’t Wanna” beats new pathways through Transvision Vamp’s more indie-punk territory.
Pop has lost its bite in recent times, pandering to lowest-common-denominator templates, shallow to the point of being ineffectual: a beat, a pout, repetitive lyrics, and a lot of marketing. Well, Jody and the Jerms make pop music that still has teeth. Not just that, but groove and muscle and contagion and smarts and…well, the list goes on.
Powerful and poignant pop music is back on the menu, folks!
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