CD Review  

Jump
 "Faithful Faithless"

Rating 89%

reviewed by Ash Brown

 Jump have been around for more years than I care to remember, yet they have hardly featured in Silhobbit. In fact, checking back, we haven't reviewed anything by the band since 1995's The Myth Of Independence CD was given rather short shrift (see review here). Probably why the band haven't sent us anything since then, even though they live virtually next door! Charlie gave me this CD to review and asked me to go to their next gig, which was to be at Berkhamsted Civic Centre. That's been called off, though I hope to go to the rescheduled date at the Limelight Theatre in Aylesbury, Home Of Prog.

Anyway, back to the record. Faithful Faithless starts off with the rather pedestrian, straight-forward rocker Shoulder To The Wheel. However, it picks up with the better tempoed The Automated Modern Fool, which would have been, to my ears at least, a far better opener. Pride Of Britain kicks in, with it's Saturday Night tales of English streets, fights'n'kebabs'n'all to a fairly progressive beat, in an English Internal Exile way. Jump issue an "Up yours" to Fish and offer him out! In A Second jumps in next, ho ho, in an English Rock way - think Thunder in their prime, which isn't a bad thing. Far better than the mock cock rock of The Darkness.

Into The Light takes the tempo right back down, into a "lighters out" ballad - this also is a great track with them all being more restrained whilst declaring their undying love. For someone. The next track, Horse To Water is a heavier song, with lyrics that start off at the other end of love, letting go, before they drop into giving up to violence. Chilling.

Whistle At The Ghost enchants with it's overtones of melodic rock, yet with all of Jump's Englishness, while Cold Wind Blow breezes in with it's whimsical 80's IQishness. The Mighty Fall verges back into Darkness / Arena territory again, with it's choppy riffs and hammy singing. You can almost imagine the loincloths flapping in the wind.

Penultimate track Clown School confuses me. Superficially it's a Chiltern-Prog attempt at American style English Quirkyness. If the lyrics weren't about a clown school I could take it seriously. The addition of Holly Petrie on Backing Vocals here make it stand out though. Hero closes the album in fine style, with it's talk of the quest for fame at any cost. Something which Jump have avoided at all costs!

I've heard Jump compared to Marillion amongst others, but to me, they sound more straight forward in their outlook, though with several threads to their sound, which should have broadened their appeal. I liked this album, and quite why they're still playing small venues after this long is beyond me!

The CD is available from Jump's website at www.jumprock.co.uk

Track Listing

Shoulder To The Wheel
The Automated Modern Fool
Pride Of Britain
In A Second
Into The Light
Horse To Water
Whistle At The Ghost
Cold Wind Blow
The Mighty Fall
Clown School
Hero

 Band

Steve Hayes (Guitars)
Mo (Keyboards)
Steve "Ronnie" Rundle (Guitars)
Andy Barker (Drums)
Andy Faulkner (Bass)
John Dexter Jones (Vocals)
Holly Petrie (Backing Vocals)