Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
There is a lot to be said for the genre of Power Pop, along with the imagery of well crafter three or so minutes well-crafted song, it gives prominence to a section of music that sometimes gets lost in the overarching field of popular music. The initial years that saw the rise of crisp harmonies, a belting guitar sound with no need to Segway off into a solo performance that may as well hold its own concert seem so long ago now but there were some great bands throughout the years since those first forays against the music being force fed the post-war teenager and The Jooks have released a very cool self-titled E.P. to stand amongst them.
The three musicians, Falco Karassavidis on guitar and vocals, Steffen Ernst on bass and Oliver Schelling on drums drive home the image of Hamburg, the place where The Beatles called home for a while and Liverpool where the beat kicked off in earnest, the mixture of these iconic cities giving The Jooks an almost irresistible charisma fuelled by some interesting and powerful lyrics and framed music hooks .
The E.P. has become a sort of staple in the post hazy days of singles domination, it gives the listener a chance to really get to grips with the music on offer in a way that the single, which could be taken completely out of context on one play never managed. Unlike the album though it deviates from full immersion into the psyche of the band and for that the humble E.P. is perfect for Power Pop. No need for the three minute song only in which is devoid of attention when four or so songs can entertain for a brief interlude and for this The Jooks succeed.
Classy but not overbearingly flippant, enjoyable without being off hand, accessible without out being superficial are all facets of the four tracks on offer, with Lonely Life and the outrageously good Happy People being highly thought-of.
If the band is able to record an album at some point, it is a wonderful thought of what it might pull out of the bag. Whatever the thoughts of Power Pop, The Jooks fit in perfectly and have made themselves very much at home with this self-titled E.P.
Ian D. Hall