Album Review: Jess And The Bandits – Here We Go Again
3 min read
What do you get when you combine the bliss of strong and beautiful vocals with the edginess of country music? The answer is of course aspiring Country/Rock sensations Jess And The Bandits, and they are set to wow everybody with their debut album Here We Go Again. The boys of The Bandits (Ricci, Louis, Dave and Steven) joined forces with Jess after learning they share a mutual love for country music and their chemistry was undeniable, thus the band was complete and they hit the road. It’s exciting to hear how their first LP has panned out, there was a reason after all why we featured Jess And The Bandits in our ‘Ones To Watch’ section.
First word of impression is ‘yes!’, Ready Set busts through your speakers with that magical country roar and gears you up for more, and that yearning is granted with the more sentimental yet just as powerful Love Like That; second single You Can’t Stop Me has that empowering aura in its chorus, which is exactly what you need to deliver a line like that, this group are a force to be reckoned with based on what we’ve heard so far. This roller coaster ride continues to thrill with the nitro injected Wanted Man, and Nitty Gritty is the quintet’s power anthem to break the glass ceiling of stereotypes and it stays in your head for hours; there is such a versatility to the sound of this album, even though it stays true to its country influence, but If You Can’t Be Mine channels country/pop in a way they haven’t yet and we get to hear a different tone to Jess’ vocal.
The arrangement of What If adds a different depth to the album, while lead single My Name Is Trouble serves as what is possibly the catchiest number on the record, these guys have their addictive hooks down pat; the emotions continue to pour out of the incredible voice of Jess Clemmons and the roar from the guitars of Louis and Steven with another powerful track, Drunk On Me. The warmth of the guitars and the consistent beat really drive Getting Into Something into something that’s favourable, and title track Here We Go Again is just as captivating; Single Tonight does not hesitate to get right into entertaining you, it is made up of the addictive country swing that encourages you to get up and dance, the keys are a lot of fun too. Last but not least, Wichita Lineman is a wonderful (and almost unexpected) ballad that gives you the final and lasting impression on what was a hell of a listen.
Jess And The Bandits know how to tickle your fancy, Here We Go Again is country with zing and sparkles; if you haven’t given these guys the time of day yet, please do yourselves a favour and get on board the express train to fun, warmth, power and a clear demonstration on how to write a great country/rock album. Jessica has a beautiful and powerful voice that stunningly fits into the world of The Bandits, a wise choice to make music together, and just the overall sound of the album is enough to keep you attentive through out its entirety. Jess And The Bandits deserved their exposure in our Ones To Watch segment, and Here We Go Again did not disappoint.
