Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

To be considered attractive is not the same as having charisma, of owning the pull of magnetism that is so rich, so powerful, that the public will stop and listen to your voice, take note of your actions, and generally follow the Sensation which is you for as long as you live. The state of attractiveness is not down to appearances, but it is just as fleeting, and yet personality, captivation of the human mind can be eternal, and one that should never be dismissed as quick and simple as the allure of momentary introduction and the likening of the Helen of Troy syndrome.

The face that launched a thousand ships is no match for the voice that combines with quality musicianship and whilst Paris may argue with that fact, the truth that his opinion did little for the relationship between two superpowers, whilst music created by those who see the world through a love that is not about ownership or possession, invariably unite even the most ardent generals of division.

The streets of Oxford are paved with musical gold, and in Jody and The Jerms, that gold shines brightly, from the old stomping grounds of students in Jericho and on to the delights of one of the most historical settings of old Universities and the bounty of the Isis, the awareness of the group, the sheer honesty that exudes faith and mystery in equal measure, results in the brightness of fortune that is charisma.

The four-track E.P., written and produced during the long running lockdown, sees the tracks Nemesis, Sunshine Ray, the excellent Never Going Home, and the title track of the project, Sensation, gather pace with impressive style, the voice of perception causing a stir of enduring unquenchable commotion and response, whilst never betraying the ethic which brough the sextet together in the first place.

The band, to which many of its members are no strangers to audiences in their previous roles as musicians within The Anydays, have sought to be musically fresh and musically sincere, and in that indie spirit that is so vital to behold, have offered up as the glory of individuality, the remarkable Jody, who before joining the group had never sang live in front of anyone before. It is in this revelation that endears the band to the listener with a sense of pleasure and groove.

To be a sensation, one must endeavour to be more than just an attractive diversion, one must be ready to be alert to the possibility of being a legend, Jody and The Jerms have that in their sights.

Jody and The Jerms release Sensation on May 10^th.

Ian D. Hall