JumpercableUsually when you see an album boast nine songs, you wouldn't consider it an EP, not even in the fast-paced world of hardcore punk. When those nine songs, however, clock in under a mere ten minutes…then the listener has to double-check the CD player to make sure he got all nine in there. After a few more detailed listens, this casual listener was quickly transformed into and avid fan who couldn't find his repeat button fast enough. Ten minutes at a time just doesn't seem like enough Jumpercable for me now.
This band is from, literally right up the road, from my apartment in Absecon, New Jersey. Yet, either by some cruel twist of fate, or perhaps my recently declining presence in the local scene, I have never before heard of this group. And here I am going on a full hour with this ten-minute CD playing on constant 'repeat' and I still am not sick of this EP yet.
Jumpercable feature a ferocious, speed-crazed rhythm section overlapped by slicing guitars that aren't afraid to chug-along with the bass at times. The vocals have that hidden gem quality, the kind of performance that reveals new little nuances every time you listen. Spencer's vocals are throaty, scratched and strained yet feature a subdued melody that was always apparent in more melodic hardcore bands like Kid Dynamite or even Ensign during their Nitro days. As for overall sound, think of a cross between Youth Of Today, Ensign and Floorpunch.
This CD is excellent, though after about seven or eight listens, not too many songs differentiate themselves from each other. This is a common problem with most of today's hardcore bands and it really causes good bands to get lost in the shuffle of an over saturated scene. Jumpercable's EP doesn't have the problem of each song running into one another as most new bands do, but as a new listener, I'm waiting for more than one track to really stand out. They will need to correct this minor fault when writing for their first full-length if they want listeners to stay interested over the length of a long-player. This band has a wealth of potential and hopefully none of us will be forgetting them anytime soon.
Rating: 4.5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "A Week In Jonestown" & "Real Problems"
Synopsis: As a new fan of this band, I really want them to do something with future releases that will make me look forward to each new song. The fact that such a good band resides within the same zip code as I do, gets me stoked to go and catch their next show!