Jumpercable

EP (2008)

Bryne Yancey

There's certainly something to be said for bands who don't fuck around, and Jumpercable fits that description with their nine-song debut EP. That's not to say a little more experimentation wouldn't have been a welcome thing, but there's enough going on here to maintain interest. And shit, it's only 10 minutes long anyway.

EP's intro and outro are both short bursts of instrumental Sabbath-esque riffing that are well enough, but the need for an both an intro and an outro is questionable, especially on an EP with such a short running time. "Hey Lame-O, Get Out of My Yard" begins as a conventionally structured hardcore song and halfway through (and after a solid six seconds of fading guitar, which is way too much for a song that's only 1:03 long) morphs into a riff-heavy juggernaut that would probably get the kids moshing, or something.

"No Headlights" and "Real Problems" are both fun if not a bit derivative, showcasing the band's `80s hardcore influence. The double bass utilized in the latter is a little weird, but not enough to ruin the song. The driving, mid-tempo base of "9 on the Tension Scale" allow Spencer's vocals to take center stage, and his approach is effective -- abrasive, loud and throat-shredding. The raw sound of "A Week in Jonestown" is reminiscent of Rollins-era Black Flag, especially the vocally raw, bass-heavy intro.

The lyrical themes employed by Jumpercable are largely par for the course -- positivity, staying true to oneself, etc. In "Hey Lame-O, Get Out of My Yard," Spencer sings "If you make wrong decisions / You're the ones left behind / Stop following the leaders / And make up your own mind." And in "9 on the Tension Scale" he impressively rhymes 'head' and 'amends' -- "When the words become dull and empty / I'll find new ways so you won't forget me / So you won't hang your head / Make amends." I found it impressive, anyway.

Not a bad start, though I'd be interested to hear if the band incorporates some more frills into their sound on a future release.