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Album Review

Jel
Sleeping Giant Label of Love

Article written by Ged M - Jun 11, 2007

Jel are a band from Kent, inspired apparently by a love of the Sex Pistols and soul music but actually sounding more like the Jam (on ‘Wheels of Steel’ and ‘Close to the Edge’ especially) or Dodgy. In the sleeve notes, their singer and songwriter Andy Gray says “I’m into bands that don’t noodle” and Jel are certainly direct. Unlike other Kent bands, they don’t seem to be pursuing any scene; this is just pretty traditional new wave-influenced rock music, with plenty of melody and fizz, and you can see why their debut record got the Sunday Express’s album of the week award. To stereotype them simply as an Express type of band would be a little unfair though: ‘Hanging Around for the Summer’ is catchy pop verging on the anthemic while the star track, ‘Means To An End’, has a great groove and explodes with some impressive bursts of brass. It’s a pleasant way to kill 40 minutes and, while I wouldn’t hunt out any tracks apart from ‘Means To An End’, it’s the sort of music that could conceivably end up being picked up by the majors.

Links:
http://www.alltheblindingmenace.com

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