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While most bands attempt to defy any genre pigeon-holing, new bands fight the hardest. This is party due to the fact that when bands begin, their myriad influences surface within the first batch of songs, leading to a disjointed feeling: just what sort of band are we? Illinois indie/alternative quartet J’espere seems to be fighting this internal battle as demonstrated on their five-song, self-produced EP, We Make It There.

Intertwining fat, power-chord, female-led rock with pseudo-jazz and soft-hearted pop interludes can work, but it takes a savvy producer to make sense of the mix. And a stellar producer could really puff up the raw material present within this disc. There is potential in these songs. J’ espere has a strong sense of melody, great timing (as far as when there should and shouldn’t be spaces in the arrangements), promising choral hooks, and a youthful energy that permeates their work.

Recommended if you like Plumb, The Benjamin Gate, Christine Glass.

Greg Adams
4/1/06