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Jupiter One Sunshower CD Review

By: Poppy Cleere

“Jupiter One is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York...” ‘How very Original’ I think to myself as I scroll through Wikipedia looking for background information on the 5-piece. “...they create upbeat indie pop songs, with a grounding in futuristic-sounding new wave-style synth sounds” Okay. The ‘bio’ was beginning to sound more like an eulogy and I was trying to find something that would excite me about this band, so instead of reading page after page of someone telling me what they sounded like I decided to open up new record Sunshower in iTunes and listen to Jupiter One’s sophomore album for myself.

I sit apprehensively as the futuristic-synth opening of ‘Volcano’ begins and then quite suddenly, just as the guitars kick in, I find a huge smile spreading across my face. I feel as though I’ve just watched the most amazing film and that the beautifully picked music for the end credits has begun, except, I’m not ready to leave the cinema, I don’t even want to move. I just want to sit and listen to this perfect melody, preferably forever. I snap back to the real world just as Jupiter One co-founder K Ishibashi’s vocals join the song along with Pat “Panda” Dougherty’s funky bass riff that continues throughout. K’s voice is not at all what I expected from a ‘New York indie band’ it’s a soothing, tuneful vocal which reminds me of various singers all at once, from Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Pierre to the world-famous, John Lennon of The Beatles.

The simple yet catchy chorus ‘You’ve got to get out, get out, get out of the house’ ensures that listeners will have no problem joining in the next time round, and the harmonies later on in the song add to the masterpiece of the album opener. As the song draws to a close you can’t help but be excited for the rest of the album.

The tempo quickens slightly for follow-up track ‘Lights Go Out’ a well-written chronicle of losing an ex to someone else, you can feel the pain of a broken-heart as K belts out the pre-chorus ‘Everytime I see you two together I fall apart’. With another simple and catchy chorus, this track is sure to be a hit live on stage.

Folksy strings open third track and new single ‘Flaming Arrow’. K’s and second vocalist, Zac Colwell’s (who also co-founded JO) vocals seem to be on extra-soothe mode for this track, an easy-listening affair which has enough flair to ensure it’s a song not to be forgotten. It’s certainly a safe choice for their first single and will inevitably ensure they gain many fans from various genres.

As I reach the chorus of fifth track ‘Anna’ I realize just why Jupiter One’s songs are so frequently used in different types of media (Jupiter’s songs have featured in countless EA video games, commercials and television shows). Each song sounds familiar yet completely new at the same time, like something you’ve loved in the past but also love now, the perfect soundtrack to life and advertising.

Speaking of soundtracks, the opening of track six ‘Simple Stones’ with it’s funky jazz bassline and hand claps sounds like something straight out of a Quentin Tarantino movie and the Beatles-Esq ‘High Plains Drifter’ also wouldn’t sound out of place on a James Bond soundtrack. K’s soothing vocals on the chorus ‘No one knows but I’ somewhat reminds me of ‘Tomorrow never dies’. Personally it’s not one of my favorites off the album but it’s not a track I’d necessarily skip if it came on.

‘Find Me A Place’ however, is one of my favorite tracks on Sunshower. At first I wasn’t keen on the track but after listening a few times I realized the beauty of it. The slow tempo melody with an 80’s jazz riff threatens to send you into a coma of relaxation every time you listen to it, and K’s soothing yet slightly haunting voice – which sounds particularly Lennon and Morrissey-esque in this track – as it recounts the longing of love only adds to the sleepy element. It’s quite different to anything else on the album so is especially unique but it also bound to create some debate between fans.

The next track, another favorite, is completely the opposite of ‘Find Me A Place’. ‘Come On’ is an upbeat poppy track with a fantastic opener; you can imagine the crowd going wild when they hear the opening riff live. It has a similar sound to a Motion City Soundtrack song but with Jupiter One’s unique synth and string styling, and the chorus, like earlier songs, is easy to remember and will be stuck in your head for days.

Penultimate track ‘Strange Teacher’ is another ’slow jam’ with cool infusions of jazz which similarly to ‘Find Me A Place’ longs to lull you to sleep. What’s particularly impressive about this track is the flute solo at the end, it’s absolutely fantastic and as the song begins to fade out you’ll find yourself absent-mindedly reaching for the ‘repeat’ button.

‘People In The Mountain’ is the final and shortest track on the record at just under one minute fifty seconds. Don’t, however, let this trick you or lead you to underestimate this short acoustic wonder as it is in fact a mini-masterpiece. K’s humming vocals are perfectly accompanied by the guitar and wind instruments, creating a lullaby you’ll want everyone to hear yet simultaneously want to keep to yourself forever. You’ll find yourself half-wishing the song was as long as the other tracks, and half not wanting to change it for the world because it’s perfect as it is. One thing’s for sure however and that is that Jupiter One picked a truly beautiful song to end the album on.

After finally dragging myself away from ‘People In The Mountain’ I was tempted to go back to Wikipedia and change the description but couldn’t think of how to find the words to describe this band or their magical sounds. So all I can hope is that you will take my advice and listen to the album for yourself when it’s released on the 15^th September. All I can promise it that you’ll be surprised. Hopefully pleasantly.

Rating out of 10: 8/10

Top Tracks To Check Out:

‘Volcano’

‘Find Me A Place’

‘Come On’

‘People In The Mountain’

You can find out more about ‘Jupiter One’ over at their Myspace page: www.myspace.com/jupiterone

Their self-titled debut album is available now.

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