Canadian rockers The Jailbirds are a three-piece tour de Force cranking out classic rock-inspired tracks. They have drawn comparisons to Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Deep Purple, Monster Truck, Royal Blood, and other such bands. Their new EP, High Noon, sees them approach the classic rock genre with a fresh, modern take, delivering five tracks of bluesy rock brilliance.
‘Take Me Away’ is one way to kick off an EP—and what a way. A rip-roaring riff twists into a modern rock epic that packs a healthy punch on the thunderous chorus. Huge slabs of bass courtesy of Liam Hills give the track some real depth to the band’s sound, which is huge, especially coming from a trio. There’s a hint of prog within their craftwork, from the folding vocals and chop-changing rhythms to the 70s-inspired guitar work.
The classic rock sound gets even more prominent on the second track, ‘Tokyo Smoke’. Think Myles Kennedy with the vocals and any hair metal band from the 80s for the backing. It would fit perfect in any of Kennedy’s work. You have to hand it to the guys for crafting such a huge sound from just the three of them. From the backing vocals to the impressive lead work and deep deep bass, the sound is spot on demanding, to be played loud. This is music to feel as well as hear. The guitar work is impeccable and ploughs the extravagant hair metal of the 80’s sound of which guitarist Myke Penny certainly has the chops for.
The stomping ‘Your Love’ makes the most of his high falsetto over the dirty grooves. It’s a match made in ear heaven. This is a guaranteed crowd pleaser with the perfect slogan to sing/shout by the audience and many chances of pulling some serious rock shapes on stage. Tracks like ‘Your Love’ and ‘Tokyo Smoke’ is why this band the band was nominated for and won “Best Rock” at the 2018 Mississauga Music Awards and since then, won “Best Live Band” at the 2022 MM Awards.
‘Sludge’ by name and sludge by nature, as the band gets down and messy, playing with more of a doom-laden sound. It’s a seductive sound of 80s LA dominated by Penny’s vocals and guitar work. The sound was something this band focused on: “We used a classic early 70s Ludwig kit on this recording, tucked it into an isolation booth actually to get a really tight and dry sound.” This dedication shows, and it is one of the best-sounding EPs this year.
And if more proof is needed, the final track, ‘Our Time,’ is a huge track that not only sounds awesome but also demonstrates once again the power and skill of this band’s songwriting. They take the standard rock framework and meld it to fit their brand of classic fiery rock, pushing the boundaries.
These boys don’t do anything out the box, this is straight up rock. But that is missing the point. It’s the strength in the songwriting and the immaculate playing thats sets them apart. All are perfectly captured with some perfect production. These tracks have been long in the making. Some have been about for a couple of years, allowing plenty of time for the band to really get a grip and tweak to as damn near perfection as possible, making these guys your new favourite band. Guaranteed.
Check out the track Our Time, below:
Find out more via the bands Website or Facebook
Read out interview with the band here
