There’s only so many times you can hear a genre before it gets a little bit stale. Luckily, in most cases, artists can offer something that deviates from the norm and can surprise us a little bit to add at least a breeze of fresh air. Jubilee Courts, however, don’t add an awful lot to a very mainstream style that is gradually losing momentum and novelty.
Debut EP ‘Go From The Blue Light Into The Moonlight’ is going to drop in August, and it’s the type of contemporary shoegaze that will give hipster stereotypes wet dreams for months. You know, until the band explode from touring alongside a slightly better known shoegaze-indie act and the hipster novelty wears off too. It’s something that we’re getting a lot of lately.
That’s not to discredit Jubilee Courts too much. They’re good at what they do. Unfortunately, what they do is adhere to a very overused formula in modern indie-rock with nothing too different or exciting to grip us. The EP opening track ‘City Flow’ is about as interesting as the release gets, with cascading guitars falling into an understated guitar hook. But after that track, the band swim deeply in the genre stereotypes we’re all getting a little tired of.
Jubilee Courts, you’ve got something (a strong sense of melody and excellent musicianship) – please just don’t waste it by following the rest of the indie sheep. If you must, at least do something different and become the black sheep of the flock.
You can listen to the EP here.
