HOME SONGS

There surely can't be much left to say about these guys ? for years they have been one of the hardest gigging bands in the UK and they have released the odd album or two, all of the same high quality. In fact, apart from the extremely amicable parting from their original bassist a few years ago they still have the same line-up as when they started (although for this album they have now added a backing singer). This is British rock; I would hesitate at using the word 'English' as that may just upset the rather tall and very vocal front man John Dexter Jones. Jump never fail to produce the goods, and 'Home Songs' is another case in point, although I did find that this album took a bit more perseverance than its predecessor 'On Impulse'.

It is songs such as "The Better Part Of Valour" that show this band at their best (is that a mandolin I hear?). It is strong and powerful yet at the same time with plenty of room for John to take centre stage. These guys may never be fashionable but they know what they want to produce, and don't worry if the record buying masses don't get to see things their way. This is quality and they know it. They do sometimes step almost into the prog field, with "Never Too far" having some Marillionesque tendencies, but then they also put on some slide guitar just to ensure that no-one thinks that they are clones of anyone. Jump often get lumped in with prog bands, as they seem to share a similar audience, but they have more in common with class acts of old than they do with neo-prog pretenders of today.

It is another album by Jump, therefore it is good. A mathematical certainty.

Originally appeared in Feedback #73, Jun 03