Single Review :: Jubilee Courts - Room With A View

Jubilee Courts

Room With A View

December 16 2013 (Stalkers Records)

8/10

Words: Dave Beech


Though they've been writing and gigging for some time now, it wasn't until earlier this year that Northants five-piece Jubilee Courts took on their “final finished form”. Their music - an unusual blend of post-punk, psych and shoegaze - feels as nostalgic as it does contemporary, and finally, despite numerous set backs over the last year, the quartet are set to realise their debut single 'Room With A View' and B-Side 'Strip Down'.

With its pounding, sullen bass juxtaposed against an angular yet blissful guitar, 'Room With A View' exhibits a weird, paranoid sense of euphoria. You can understand why Temples' James Bagshaw took to them enough to produce the track's original demo, as well as supply percussion on this finished track. In danger of floating away, held down only by the weight of the bass, the first half of the track sees an almost nonchalant vocal part hook the listener in, serving to heighten the bizarre aesthetic of the track. During the second half, however, what was a sparse, angular song, becomes a vibrant and inviting cacophony, in which the vocals are lowered and become entwined with the music, adding another layer to an already rich patchwork.

On the other hand, B-Side 'Strip Down' is a different track entirely. A fantastically produced guitar leads in to what is a far more upbeat outing than it's flipside. That said, there's still an air of melancholy surrounding the whole track, only this time you can dance while you cry. Verging on the almost instrumental,'Strip Down' seems to be the band spreading their wings and experimenting a little, as suggested by the slight nod towards 60s psych on the vocal track, coming a little way through.

Though there's not a huge amount of the band's material out there at the moment, one can't help but be impressed by what is out there to be listened to. Their fusion of nostalgic genres is a common trait in bands these days, but Jubilee Courts just make it feel different, make it feel fresh. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right.