It’s been 5 years since Jockstrap first formed, having initially met at the Guildhall school of music. Since then the duo have built a cult following from all walks of life. From composing the music used on Chanel’s 2020 fall/winter collection, to releasing two fantastic city themed EP’s this comes as no surprise, however out of place their music may seem in context. Now, circa September 2022, 10 songs and 43 minutes documenting these past 5 years are on display, but do Jockstrap create an album just as consistent as their EP’s?
In a short answer, yes. More than yes. The music on Jennifer B is undeniably brilliant. It’s jagged, dramatic and a little freakish, sparkling with detours of new rave, chiptuned trance and (for the 4/4 enthusiasts) period piece pop, all filtered through the minds of two brilliant musicians, who on the same album can craft a hyperactive J pop epic about an Animal Crossing character’s train hopping (‘Debra’) , yet also a hair raising commentary on the labour and parturition of an anxiety attack, posed as a human form and backed by a skeletal harp (‘Angst’). It’s a gory affair, and although such moments may appear as a fleeting interlude at first glance, time proves otherwise. Goldmines appear on every track. Big shout outs to the 17 piece orchestra heard on the loose ‘Greatest Hits‘ , as well as the sustained guitar chords and wind samples that make the gothic ‘Lancaster Court’ so unsettling.
‘Neon‘, a track initially constructed from acoustic guitar and muted synths, is a perfect example of the duo’s growth, now looking outside of space and time for structure. A group that once did odd things for the sake of being odd now do them now for perfect fludity. Skye’s midpoint musique concrete destroys all form of said structure, taking no prisoners in constricting the human ear from matter into pulp. In taking this risk he creates a minute of pure synesthesia, and frankly a moment I consider to make one of the finest and most distinctive album openers from the last decade. Ellery, who gives a lyrical meditation on the state of withdrawal after an argument, starts a thematic set of pointed questions that give the album a loosely conceptual diary feel. Whether she’s asking how can she be close to someone on the ravey ‘straight from Sheffield’ ‘50/50‘, or the questions of longing on the lush ‘What’s It All About?‘, where she muses the loss of an old friend.
The title track ‘Jennifer B‘ turns the tables again, proving this record as entirely unpigeonholeable. The margins of the song are coloured with much nebulous interference. A cocophany of onomatopoeic sounds set to the frequency of tetrislike electronica expand on everything Jockstrap have done so far, before jittering synths and stabbed bass swim in and out of the mix, complimenting Ellery’s sultry voice, now sustained in a fever dream of shadowy ecdysiast characters, only once to be interrupted by a strange downpitched vocal intermission, which sounds as if the song is ripped from a dodgy promo CD from 2007. Nonetheless this all adds to its idiosyncratic charm. And just like it says on the tin, the duo maintain an element of shockability that marvels in an age where even pornography makes us yawn.
While I can applaud these quirky decisions, and the subtle humour, what really impresses is the bands ability to flex their muscles. When the album does come to a conventional track it also pushes beyond everything expected. Take the euphoric ‘Glasgow‘, where the duo take on the sing along country road anthem, infusing a picked guitar (played wonderfully by Luke Mark of Black Country, New Road) with euthoric strings and multi layered spine tingling vocals. Despite being an obvious radio hit, the duo still deliver one of their best tracks yet, with a particularly emotional climax filled with longing, and backed with cinematic train sounds. Just brilliant. The fantastic centrepoint track ‘Concrete Over Water’ is similar, being an honest swirling statement of femininity. A feather in the cap of an album, delivering much to quench your thirst.
‘I Love You Jennifer B‘ will be released on Rough Trade Records on September 9 2022
Key Tracks: ‘Neon’ , ‘Jennifer B’, ‘Greatest Hits’, ‘What’s It All About?’ , ‘Concrete Over Water’, ‘Angst’, ‘Debra’, ‘Glasgow’
