EP Review: Jo Below - No Control

It's funny that 'classic rock' has become it's own particular sound, since it was originally meant as an indicator of a period in time, one where there were tons of bands who didn't sound very much the same. Over the years, it has come to mean any music that is a bit simpler, more organic, and indebted to the 1970s. And to add on top of all that, now we have bands like Jo Below, who are calling their music 'modern classic rock'. Parsing some of the syntax of music can be a bit of a headache.

Opening with "Ms. Death", the band quickly makes me question their own nomenclature. The riff that comes out of the speakers is less Aerosmith and more Godsmack. Other than Johanna's vocals, the song is far more of a post-grunge modern rock than anything to do with the classic era. What's oddest about the song is how the chorus is the least energetic section of the track. The main riff has some power, and the verses have a slinky muted riff, but the chorus just sort of hangs there without doing a lot.

"Where Are You Now?" takes a different approach, with a hint of "Complicated" era Avril Lavigne to the layered guitars and Johanna's vocal tone. This song feels much more natural, and perhaps a better indicator of what Jo Below is best suited for. Not every band is equipped to play as heavy as the possibly can, and that's where I feel "Ms. Death" get the band pointed in the wrong direction. Making that the first thing we hear isn't the right indication for what Jo Below is really all about.

When they are content to be a bit lighter, and draw more from the alternative scene, I like them. "Another Dimension" is a solid track that could admittedly use a bit more punch through the verses, but has enough melodic power to win you over by the end. The same is true of "I Confess". Really, everything past the opening track is good stuff, if you're of the mind to enjoy the time period they are most referencing. Given their own choices, I'm not sure they are.

The biggest problem with this EP is that it doesn't deliver on what the band proposes. This is not at all a modern take on classic rock, nor is it going to become classic when it is no longer modern. I realize they're just words, and they don't really make a difference, but they do. Expectations matter when you're assessing the emotional response you get to music, and when the band sets us up for one thing and delivers another, it invites disappointment that otherwise wouldn't have been there.

What that means is "No Control" is an EP with four good songs, one mistake, and a bit of an identity crisis. If they can just commit to being who they are and wear it with pride, Jo Below can be a good band.