Salvation Jayne – E.P. & Live Review, The Finsbury, London, November 9 2018

It really looks like it's paying off for Salvation Jayne especially when the crowd contains at least one record company executive....

Words and Pictures: Adrian Hextall \ MindHex Media

Genre: Alt Rock

Released: November 16th

Label: Independent

Band Members
Chess Smith – Vocals,
Holly Kinnear – Guitar,
Dan Lucas – Bass ,
Tor Charlesworth – Drums,

Tacklisting:

Cortez,

Juno,

Black Heart,

Tongue Tied,

The Art of Falling,

Juno (Stripped),

Salvation Jayne are a young, female driven alt-rock band with a distinctive dirty sound which combines elements of rock, nu wave and blues.

Having seen them play a couple of times now, they look to be set for good things over the next few months. Currently at the dawn of their career, slotted in amongst 3-4 band bills playing the smaller clubs and pubs, now is the ideal opportunity to soak up a band from the start. Their previous e.p. went down well with fans and critics alike and the new, self titled one looks set to continue the trend. 

With PlanetRock showcasing latest single ‘Cortez’ Salvation Jayne’s audience is growing daily. Check out the video below to the song. It’s haunting intro before diving headfirst into a thumping drum and bass line when mixed with the slightly unsettling imagery just doing enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Of the other tracks on the e.p. Juno is one that’s been heard by a few people to date both online and at live shows. A jangly guitar led intro that reappears throughout from Holly Kinnear makes way for thunderous fuzz laden riffs that help push the song forward. With Chess imploring us ‘get yourself together’ she gives us something to latch onto throughout the song and a rapid ear worm develops that simply won’t shift. 

The clever use of electronica adds to the overall band sound and it’s something Chess employs well on stage as evidenced by their set at The Finsbury last night. The added notes underpin the sound on Black Heart and give the band a sound akin to the freshness and energy that The Killers used to employ way back when Hot Fuss was first released. The song really sets out the band’s stall and remains a firm favourite of mine. Chess’s vocals are something else, the rhythm section of Dan and Tor sounds absolutely huge whilst Holly guitar pulls out every trick in the book to help create a hugely impressive song. 

E.p.s can often focus on a couple of great tracks and have old school b-sides to fill out the four or five tracks on offer. Not so with Salvation Jayne  who have managed to expertly deliver 2 e.p.s not that offer fans in essence an albums worth of material. Tongue Tied, the fourth track on this release keeps the Killers feel going with subtle single note picks from Holly doing enough during the verse to enhance Chess’s vocal delivery. Again the overall approach is a wonderful wall of sound but one that doesn’t see each musician fighting for space or their own moment. The four piece seem to manage to give themselves enough individual space without really realising just what they’re managing to do. If it really does come naturally to them then the debut album should be pretty special. 

The last main track The Art of Falling (something I am fairly adept at) opens with some interesting slide work from Holly, something again that was introduced during the live show at The Finsbury to a great reaction from the crowd. Despite going on just underneath the headliners, the crowd warmed to the band from the off and it’s tracks like this that make it easy to see why. A short nudge from Chess to get the crowd to move forward (you know the typical British approach of filling up a venue from the back because we’re all shy !) worked perfectly and the main area around the stage rapidly became surrounded by people with smiles on their faces, tapping feet and nodding heads. 

With a stage high enough to allow those at the back the opportunity to see the band in full, heck even Tor could be seen bathed in a mix of white and red light on the venue’s house drum kit, the space afforded to them allowed all four members to whirl around without tripping over each other. At times Holly looked lost in her own world, oblivious to everything except the sounds she was able to make with her guitar. Eyes closed, head back as riff after riff, note after note flew out of the speakers washing over the crowd in a glorious mix of raw energy and passion. 

With the smile never leaving Tor’s face, Dan driving a path through the crowd with the sound coming out of his bass guitar, it fell to Chess who with the aid of some excellent lighting above her really got the chance to shine front and centre. Dressed in a black and white jump suit that wouldn’t have been out of place in a classic Bruce Lee movie or a Kill Bill sequel, there were moments where we wondered if she might also begin doing backflips mid song but sadly no such luck. Saving it for the E.P. launch show in Canterbury on the 16th November I imagine (Yes, challenge delivered gauntlet thrown down!). 

It was, as expected on four band bill on a Friday night in Finsbury Park, a short set but one that made an impact. Other bands were on before and one more followed but Salvation Jayne more than won over the crowd. It’s a fair old trek up from Folkstone for 25-30 minutes of stage time to then have to bag up all the kit and take it home again but that’s what you do when you’re starting out. Work, graft, put the effort in and dividends will follow. It really looks like it’s paying off for Salvation Jayne especially when the crowd contains at least one record company executive, clearly there to see what all the fuss is about! 

Details about the e.p. launch are below: 

 

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