It was the 11th July 2023 when MV first saw Jayler. They were young, energetic, impossibly skilful and although their set was about a 50/50 split of covers and originals, something was obvious.
They were opening for Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons (RIP Phil) and we wrote that night: “They could become very mighty indeed.”
Three years later — what’s about seven weeks between friends? — they’re still young, still impossibly skilful, and they’re here with a debut record that has 11 new songs on it. Except, well, we might as well get this out of the way and get on with enjoying the record.
Jayler are unapologetic about their love for classic rock. So saying that this or that song sounds like Led Zeppelin or whatever is essentially redundant. Like telling Greta Van Fleet the same. They know. They know that you know. And they don’t care. Get over it.
Right? Good.
Because Jayler, quite frankly, are ace.
And crucially, they’re working with producer George Perks, fresh off the back of magnificent records from Pet Needs and Kid Kapichi. He’s no grizzled old rocker, and “Voices Unheard” is fresher than you might think.
After the intro, there’s a simple shout of “Alright!” like James Bartholomew has waited for this all his life. Which, judging by the harmonica, he has.
“Down Below” has all the sass you like, while “Riverboat Queen” is one they’ve been playing for years and is all blues and attitude, with drummer Ed Evans right at the top of his game.
It’s the sheer enjoyment of stuff like “Need Your Love” that carries it. Never mind the riffs from Tyler Arrowsmith, and there are plenty of those too.
“The Getaway” could have got away from an early Aerosmith record, and if the lyrics are never going to rival Bob Dylan for a Nobel Prize, then largely that’s part of the record’s charm.
“Bittersweet” changes the pace, sees the acoustic come out, and the high notes Bartholomew hits are impressive. More than that, though, the track feels very much like the centrepiece of the record.
“Hate To See It End” is full of modernity in a way that most of this isn’t, and when he sings, “look what we could be, just wait and see,” he could be singing about the band itself.
“Over The Mountain” is the one where they swagger, while “Alectrona” has the pre-chorus “I was born to sin” — and you suspect he was. Plus, the harmonies are great and it gets bonus points for using the word “pheromones.”
The harmonica is back for “Lovemaker,” so that’s a lot of fun, and it’s a decent stab at sleaze too.
“The Rinsk” is one they’ve played live for ages, and it wants them to “discover something new.” A sprawling, prog-tinged thing, it hints at where they might go in the future.
“Voices Unheard” feels like more than a debut full-length. More a marker. A statement. And there’s a load of kids who haven’t heard this type of music before who’ll hear it now because of this — like my voyage of discovery in 1990 because of The Quireboys and The Black Crowes. The rest of us can just be grateful that there’s a band keeping the flame alive without being a heritage act.
They’ve come so far in three years. Goodness knows where they’ll be in 2029.
RATING: 8.5/10
