The J-Walkers
A Different Me
Angela Macari O’Looney
From Kildare, this inspiring quintet is a little bit different from the stream of various genres doing the rounds.
Described as Acoustic/Rock/Zouk, their music is catchy and extremely melodic. Whether it’s a smouldering romantic number or a foot stomping funky song, they have true style and unforgettable appeal!
Steven Cassells; One hell of a singer, he also plays rhythm guitar and is a superb frontman.
Tommy Gray; The heart beat of the band, he has the pleasure of performing those imaginative beats in creatively composed songs that always involve tricky chops and changes.
Omar Mahfoud; Lead guitar/Backing Vox is performed by this man. He pours out incredible solos, using slides, distortion or bending notes where necessary and is The J-Walkers musical Director.
Last but not least is bassist Jonas Zaidys (The Cents) from Salvador, Brazil. Jonas is a bass man you simply can’t ignore. He sings backing vocals, but performs rich elaborate baselines that are the life breath of each amazing number. As with each facet of this band, he puts passion and imagination into every note he plays.
They have come a long way since I first saw them competing in a battle of the bands I was asked to adjudicate. I fell in love with their sound and knew they were a winning team. It wasn’t just their music, but their total enjoyment of what they were doing that got to me that night.
At last this debut E.P. is here and is available on iTunes. Steven and his crew are joined by top musicians Dara Munnis (Paul Brady, The Coronas, Jack L), Alex Methias (Stars of the Commitments, Berkley Music College), and also one of my favourite musicians Simon Fagan (Singer/songwriter and trumpeter extraordinaire).
A Different Me
Opening up with a magical brass intro provided by Simon and Alex, this number which defines The J-Walkers style and was their first hit written together, is taken to a new level.
It’s a funky song with a catchy chorus. Guitars play choppy chords for the verse. Harmony is filtered in for parts and the tempo alternates here and there. Steven has a clear vocal style, but can jazz his voice up at times. This is a feel good song from start to finish and with a cool reggae style beat, is loaded with charm!
A superb break is shared by trumpet and Sax. Fab riffs are injected by both for the last chorus, making all the difference. You recognise these wonderful virtuoso musicians by simply hearing their seductive and delicious riffs.
Waiting
A funky bass guitar riff intro takes you into this number and is followed by lead and rhythm. I love those jazzy guitars and the dramatic stop-start mood.
Splashes of harmony can be heard and Omar who is a multi musician, performs a divine solo on lead guitar and amazing riffs and hooks throughout. Steve Cassells plays excellent rhythm with lovely chord combinations and he tells the story of a girl’s devotion to her lover who is indifferent; enough time passes by and the tears dry up, then she’ll see that hope turns to hate, her fear turns to shame. She won’t be afraid to shine and she won’t be waiting there. She’s gonna walk out that door.
Dara Munnis performs a solo on keyboards and this adds brilliantly to this fab song. He does elaborate notation and for the remainder all instruments are involved, until the slow wind down for the finish.
Time
This is slow and soulful, with acoustic guitar at the beginning behind Steven’s pouring out of the verse. Harmony drifts in gradually and soon a drumbeat lifts the dynamic. Rhythmic notes on guitar and synth build the sound up. A cello comes in at one point and orchestral notes take everything right up to a dramatic and really powerful crescendo. The string arrangement on this track is by Dara Munnis.
These three tracks are only a foretaste from the enjoyable and extremely entertaining repertoire of songs The J-Walkers have built up. The addition of their special guests on the E.P., plus the orchestra also adds a different perspective to everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment