Jumbo - Jumbo

  by Geraint Jones

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Since getting tongues wagging enthusiastically over their 1999 debut album ‘CB Mamas’, Newcastle’s Jumbo, heralded by many as the UK’s answer to The Flaming Lips, have maintained a relatively low profile, with just a couple of 7” singles being released in the interim. One of these, Double Super Buzz, which opens the new self-titled album, was released as a single on Earworm in June. More reminiscent of their earlier material than much of what follows, it’s actually the most obvious choice for a single, if you were to assume the usage of the traditional criteria for selection of such things, such as does it have a catchy tune? Could it be played on the radio? Does it last 3 minutes and in these days of almost complete irrelevance in the singles charts, could Atomic Kitten cover it? Well, yes, yes, yes and yes, but hopefully not, although it would certainly make for an intriguing and more adventurous change in these times of stultifying predictability. Melodic, warm and minimalist, it provides little hint of the eclectic, irreverent and fragmentary nature of the rest of the album, which are all good things in this instance and undoubtedly amongst the album’s strengths. If there’s one thing you can expect here it’s the unexpected! Lo-fi soundscapes, cut ‘n’ paste ‘sampling, analogue synthesisers that even shock Dr. Who fans, chugging ’77 style punk rock, Krautrock and sublime pop, all take their turns in Jumbo’s sonic adventure playground. The album was recorded using an array of recording techniques, from the relative ostentatiousness of a 24-track digital studio to a PC and an old reel-to-reel. Unafraid of innovation or experimentation, ‘Jumbo’ is a bold step forward that’s as bewildering and exciting as it is unexpected. It’s a relatively safe bet that we won’t be seeing the Enoesque atonal meandering of 'The Cunt Won’t Start' on any radio station playlists soon nor for that matter the DIY punk thrash of 'Man Part 3', but perhaps in another dimension on an alternative Ibiza, the late night revellers could be chilling out to the soothing lo-fi psychedelic pop of 'Daddy Coo Coo'. Perhaps 'Strike Anywhere' with it hypnotic yet vibrant keyboard swirl would get the dancefloor busy again the next day. Frequently bizarre and occasionally unsettling, ‘Jumbo’ is a thrilling, challenging and ambitious record that should elevate the Jumbo to greater hei ghts. Who knows where they’ll land next?

Track Listing:-

1 Double Super Buzz
2 The Cunt Won't Start
3 Man Part 3
4 I Love My Body
5 Roulette
6 Everybodys Gonna Get Me
7 Daddy Coo Coo
8 Strike Anywhere
9 My Husbands My Motivator
10 Views From The South
11 Pigmy FM
12 Co-Pilot With A Cooler
13 The Devil May Care

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