JoKeRz - 3 of a Kind By Rebecca Hilton

I went to the Sesh at Linnet and Lark just before Xmas to check out a local band that has been creating a lot of buzz lately around Hull and Myspace, the band being JoKeRz. I hadn't seen them before, only heard snippets of their pop/rock on myspace - being impressed with the songs, I decided to check them out - I don't think I was ready for what I saw.

A 35 minute set of raw emotion, upbeat, catchy songs that make you wanna bounce off the walls and a chemistry between the 3 guys that hasn't been seen in a hull band in a long time!

At the end of the set the guys left me, and the whole crowd, knackered and I jumped at the chance to buy their album 3 of a Kind. The album can only be described as captivating; pop songs that have a great commercial feel about them, mixed with psycho punk drumming, great lyrics and even better vocals. The album starts off with a BANG! The band can be heard walking into the studio, plugging in their instruments and blasting through a quick instrumental piece then straight into 1 in 1 Out - a jovial look at going Friday night clubbing but finding out when you are queuing that the bouncers are only letting pretty girls in and 1 person in at a time (so annoying! You know what club in Hull you are!).

We jump straight to Get That Feeling - funky bass lines a plenty and excellent vocals - this comes across excellently on the CD, with a slight indie feel to it - and a crowd favourite when they played it at the Sesh. Perhaps the most catchy and definitely the most commercial song on the album, Coincidences hits us right in the middle of the album! This song is just pure pop and makes you want to jump up and down endlessly, it wouldn't go a miss in many a club! Beautiful imagery in the lyrics strange circumstances, midnight romances, stop my life being a bore give it a very young Springsteen-esque feeling while the music side could be lent to The New Radicals mixed with some drumming from Green Day.

Magic Garden goes into a darker realm, but with no less enthusiasm as the more upbeat numbers, the chorus is made for stadiums - with a crowd sing-along 'ba-ba-bada's' that were seen at the Sesh. The boys slow it down with a beautiful song called Me and the Boys - bringing back childhood memories, the things you got up to and the camaraderie of friendship that never dies as you get older. This song really shows their song writing ability and is another potential single. Another couple of upbeat rockier songs follow, I Hate You and Game are in the same vein, showing the boys rockier/edgier side.

Great lyrics again, especially Game which describes somebody being messed around by a girl but not even knowing it! The lyrics are poignant, sometimes brutal, but also honest and really grab the listener by the throat and dragging you in.

Man With No Name is a beautiful piece, slowed down with acoustic guitars in the background and beautiful drumming that lends even more to the gorgeousness of this song. A narrative about an unknown person, doing all he can for people, never expecting anything in return, but sometimes doubting himself when in reality that person doesn't have to as he only needs to look at what people think of him!

Another brilliant pop song follows that we can all relate to, Money about being skint and needing more, another great commercial song that has another potential single tag on it! The harmonies on this really add to the song, and speedy punk drumming once again makes you want to bounce off the walls and go for a run down the street.

The album closes with a beautiful piano ballad called Stupid Life - arguably the best song on the album, with a strong Coldplay feel to it. This song can't be described, you are just going to have to listen to it yourselves to realise the pure beauty of it.

Apart from having a great set of catchy, commercial pop songs with great lyrics, the biggest thing that stands out is Kristian's voice. The lead singer has a raw, at times very subtle, booming vocal style that just blasts the listener away like a punch to the chest. This guy's voice has to be heard live to appreciate the pure power of it. The album is fantastic work from start to finish, showing that they aren't just a one trick pony, it has something for everybody. I'd really recommend them to anybody, check out the album and their live show sooner rather than later - from the sounds of this CD, they ain't gunna be around Hull for much longer. www.myspace.com/jokerzband

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