The Jar Family – Jarmalade

With The Jar Family consisting of six dapper, almost Dickensian members, it’s hard to imagine Jarmalade sounding anything like the way it does – which makes it even more surprising when you hit play on the record. Immediately the listener is washed over with raw, industrial beats mixed with a folksy melody and Doherty-esque vocals. Despite the clash of sounds, the result is surprisingly pleasant and harks back to the days of 70s rock bands.

The brilliant single Machine fast became one of the most played tracks in football stadiums throughout the UK and was quickly adopted by ITV to use in their F1 coverage, and it’s easy to see why. The rough guitar pulse makes the listener want to move and the typewriter sample makes the song truly unique in a way that doesn’t come around too often anymore.

An unfortunate flaw to the album is the harsh production, which at times sounds sloppy and unfinished. Similarly, the structure is loose and a little erratic, catapulting from one direction to another from track to track. However, this style is arguably deliberately reminiscent of the 70s and 80s records that The Jar Family seem to be emulating.

Overall Jarmalade is a very solid album. With little filler and a lot of nostalgic nods to the greats, it’s a great album to jam out to in the garage with your rocker mates.

Verdict: ★★★★★

Jack Whitfield

Jarmalade is released on 26^th August, but you can pre-order the album here.

Watch the video for Machine here: