West Midlands pop-punkers JJK are certainly on the right lines. Musically they have a nice slick production, certainly taking influence from the likes of New Found Glory and Fenix TX, with some nice pop-punk guitar riffs and drum fills. However, I feel their youthful inexperience (age ranges 16-20) goes against them a little bit with the vocals, which while competent sound a little too harsh for this type of music. And while I know this is a bit of an oxymoron, the vocals are just a little too British for this type of music – rather than having a softer, catchy feel they just sound a little rough around the edges. And while the vocals are still good, I think it lessens the impact an otherwise talented young band have.
‘No Holding back’ and the EP’s title track are the best two songs here, while ‘Days To Remember’ is the best example of where the vocals plod along – there’s no passion, no emotion…it just seems like the singer is going through the motions a bit. Which is a shame, as everything ele is pretty much spot on for a pop-punk record. If the band can iron out these little niggles, they could be ones to watch for 2007 – and beyond.