Continuing the fine tradition set by such legendary bands as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and - most famously of all - Puddle of Mudd, Jupitar Sands are four young lads from Bury who have opted for the deliberately dyslexic approach when choosing their name; although apparently this particular miss-spelling did originate in an error (by Bury venue The Met when promoting a concert). If you wished to be really pedantic you could also point out that Jupiter, being made up almost entirely of gases, is not likely to feature any actual sand but you would be better off listening to this self-made 3 track EP instead (as well as perhaps getting out more). Jupitar Sands is the result of various Bury acts splitting up and this is apparent in each of the three songs included. Each of the band-members has developed his own style and ideas and is prepared to use them, but happily, for the most part, they compliment rather than over-power each other: the three tracks featured here demonstrate passion, musicianship and, unusually for a post-BritPop guitar band, variety. This is most evident on middle track "Backdoor" which starts off as a piano-led ballad before becoming a sing-along anthem. At the mid-way point heavy guitars and rapid drumming completely alter the tone of the song before returning to the verse, an extremely effective trick which is reminiscent of "One" by Metallica. This is not the only time that a metal influence is evident, hardly surprising when you consider that singer-guitarist John Armstrong is a Zeppelin-nut and is apparently prone to selecting Lynard Skynard's "Freebird" on the pub jukebox every dinner time (much to the undoubted delight of his work-mates).
Luckily Jupitar Sands appear to have a broad range of influences to prevent them from becoming just another noise-mongering guitar band and seem adept at merging these influences successfully. Thus, Track One "Over Now" is able to start off sounding like eighties electro-pop before transforming into an out and out rocker. This track and remaining song "Human Cage" both show that Armstrong is more than capable of making himself heard over the wall of sound - imagine Eddie Vedder if he came from Tottington - and his guitar-playing is much more intricate and interesting than your average indie guitarist (again the metal influence). But it is "Backdoor" that stands out with its infuriatingly catchy guitar lick and the stripped down backing proving that less is sometimes more (Incidentally, Jupitar Sands are currently in the process of recruiting a second guitarist: it would be a shame if this crowded out their sound, particularly given the importance of the variety provided by Duncan Meadows' keyboards). Perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to this song is that you don't notice the fact that it is over eight minutes long, such are the twists and turns in melody and tone.
Of course, the CD has its faults but these are mainly production/mixing issues, such as the occasional overly-prominent vocal or bass line, and there are some who would say that the band's name makes them sound like a seventies prog-rock group. But these are minor quibbles and Jupitar Sands have already shown in well-received gigs at 42nd Street and Siberia (Bury's third most popular nightclub!) that they have arrived and are planning on staying. This self-titled EP may work out at £1 a song but it leaves you willing to fork out an extra few quid to hear some more.
Jupitar Sands are an unsigned band and their self-titled debut EP is available via the band's website www.geocities.com/jupitarsands.
They, like the writer of this review are from Bury, Gtr. Manchester.
The writer has seen them perform live on two occasions.
