JEBO

After reading Carly’s review several months ago of Jebo’s album ‘Settle Up or Settle Down’, where she described one of the songs with the words, “This strong, guitar-driven, first song has a perfect mixture of haunting melodies, rich almost-orchestral chord progressions and so many tonal intricacies that you may just miss them the first time,” I have to admit I was intrigued to hear them live with Kevin J Messenger at the helm. Having seen Kevin live with his previous band Vespertine and been impressed with that band, I knew there was no doubting his frontman skills. By the time Jebo entered the stage at the Thunderbolt, quite a crowd had gathered at the front ready to hear them. What struck me with this crowd was the fact that it was a pretty much all-ages crowd, but then if you look at the age range of the band itself, its spread out over a number of years. Whatever the ages though, they were all united to dance and nod their heads along to the music for all fourteen songs of the set.

Performing with an additional singer, Jebo’s sound was full and rich, full of intricate layers, as Kevin’s strong, bluesy voice soared out above the music. Their sound is prog rock to the core, even down to bringing back the old style organ sound on the keyboard, which is a sound I hadn’t heard live in a band, just heard on all the old seventies stuff. Their songs in the first half of their set all appeared to be woven together, three-part harmonies mixed with proggy, rhythmic guitar and a strong backline of bass and drums, with the keys dipping in and out. Listening to Jebo is almost like slipping back through time, yet at the same time, they’re keeping the sound alive and fresh. Half way through the set, the majority of the members left the stage, leaving just three of them to perform a couple of numbers acoustically. Unfortunately, acoustic has never been a hit for me and I felt that they should have kept with the same format as before. I felt that after the acoustic numbers, they couldn’t quite re-ignite the flame they had previously. But, despite me thinking this, the change didn’t spoil the enjoyment for the others in attendance. It was fantastic to see people getting such enjoyment out of a band – even if it did sound like a cat was being strangled behind me as someone sang along to one of the songs. - Live Music Scene

OD7-CB7
Ça tombe bien que le nom de
ce groupe anglais se traduise,
en verviétois, par quelque chose
comme “Je m’amuse bien”, car
ce pre-release promotionnel et
non-masterisé d’un album offi ciellement
sorti le 12 avril (qui, le
saviez-vous ? est aussi la Journée
des Cosmonautes) a fait frissonner
de plaisir mes vibrisses auditives.
Les présentations d’abord. jebo
est constitué de : Kevin Messenger
au chant, Rob Allen (qui nous a
transmis la promo) à la guitare
et au chant, Gianfredo konig à la
basse, Nick o’neill aux claviers
et au chant, et Jeff France à la
batterie. Les infl uences avouées
couvrent à peu près l’ensemble de
l’univers du rock (probablement
de l’autodérision) jusques et y
compris Courvoisier et les pâtes al
dente.
Le précédent – et premier – album
du groupe, Sinking Without You,
sorti en 1998 et produit par John
Burns, a fait l’objet d’une réédition
dont vous trouvez la critique
(plutôt mitigée) dans le précédent
numéro de ProgRésiste (PR60, page
82).
Voici donc le deuxième album,
toujours produit par John Burns,
mais à propos duquel je formulerai
beaucoup moins de réserves :
c’est de la belle ouvrage. La
force de persuasion de ce groupe
combine le chant, soutenu par de
magnifi ques parties chorales, la
guitare acoustique, les mélodies
sous-tendues par de magnifi ques
harmonies aux accords suspendus,
et la production. Ecoutez
donc : Given The Chance, le premier
morceau, dont l’introduction
au piano acoustique crée une
ambiance intimiste et romantique,
mais qui se dénoue sur un motif
à la fois énergique et romantique
avec de très belles interventions
chorales ; Song For…. avec son
motif hypnotique de guitare acoustique
; The Greatest Day, soutenu
par un ensemble de violons à la
consonance un peu celtique ; et
As Long As Love Remains avec sa
descente de basses hyperclassique
mais ô combien effi cace !
C’est vrai qu’il est diffi cile de
pointer des références précises
tant cette musique est classique à
souhait, mais c’est probablement
là que réside sa force de persuasion
: on y retrouve les sonorités
qui ont fait le meilleur de notre
passé rock. Rangez donc vos fusils
de chasse à l’originalité et
ouvrez simplement vos oreilles. Je
formule le pari que ces gens
feraient un passage remarqué sur
nos scènes.
www.jebomusic.co.uk Christian Barbier - Prog-Résiste (61)

Der englische Underground rüstet offenbar ordentlich nach. Nach Parallel or 90 Degrees haben wir hier schon wieder ein Album einer englischen Band, die es gehörig in sich hat. Was genau dieser Bandname zu bedeuten hat – gute Frage. Nach einem Line-up-Wechsel am Mikro folgte auch gleich noch ein neuer Keyboarder und ein neuer Basser. Übrig geblieben vom alten Line-up sind nur noch Bandkopf Rob Allen und Jeff France an den Saiteninstrumenten. Rundumerneuerung könnte sagen. Dem Sound der Band hat dies alles aber nicht wirklich geschadet. Jebo klingen auf ihrem zweiten Album sehr frisch und spritzig. Ihr angefolkter, ansatzweise progiger und dennoch erdig-rockender aber auch melodischer Sound klingt auf „Settle up, Settle down“ nicht minder frisch und spritzig als auf ihrem, ursprünglich 2006 erschienen und 2008 für Deutschland neu aufgelegten Debüt „Sinking Without You“. Die Musik hat das Zeug einen zu packen und nicht mehr loszulassen. Ob nun die mitreißende Klasse-Nummer „Nothing ever works that Way“, das leicht bluesige aber gegen Ende auch an Supertramp („Give a little bit“ oder „Sister Moonshine“) erinnernde „Diamonds“ oder welche Nummer auch immer – die Lust des Quartetts aus dem englischen Bristol auf ihre (manchmal amerikanisch klingende) Musik wirkt fast schon ansteckend. Eine richtig gelungene Scheibe, die ich Leuten, die auf Bands wie It-Bites, Kino oder Orphan Project abfahren nur wärmstens ans Herz legen kann.
Kontakt: www.jebomusic.co.uk
Sven Meyer – Breakout Magazine - Breakout Magazine, Germany

• The employment of name producer John Burns has given this second album a rich, expansive sheen. It’s smooth Classic Rock from an era when Supertramp and Yes strode the Earth like colossi. ‘No Angels’ is a song that any savvy publisher would be pushing towards Robbie Williams. ‘Given The Chance’ sneaks up as tricksy prog and evolves into a genuinely ingenious epic thanks to songwriter Rob Allen’s hugely impressive craft and pop nous. New lead singer Kevin Messinger sounds suitably stranded mid-Atlantic. ‘40 Miles’ nods the wink via XTC towards The Beatles and there are excellent stacked harmonies on the George Michael-ish ‘As Long As Love Remains’. I feel a bit like the chap who heard Queen’s demo tape. It’s all there. Here’s hoping today’s completely changed music business can find a place for Jebo as they’re undeniably brilliant. (Kid Pensioner) *****
www.myspace.com/jebomusic
Copyright Kid Pensioner 2010 - Venue Magazine

There are several sides to the old prog rock coin. There's the traditional stuff, 30 minute guitar solos, key changes every five bars and lyrics of the Jon Anderson school that go on about lord knows what in words of never less than six syllables. Then there's the other side of the coin, the type of prog pioneered by the likes of Asia and It Bites. Good strong songs with the art rock excesses kept under control and a strong commercial edge. This is the stand point Bristol band JEBO come from, and on this their second full length release they show that they are rapidly developing into one of that type of progs finest exponents.

There have been a few changes since their debut long player, 2006's 'Sinking Without You'. We have new faces in the shape of bassist Gianfredo Konig and vocalist Kevin J Messenger, but those of you who loved the old JEBO line up have nothing to fear as the transition has been a smooth one with the new boys blending in seamlessly with the more established members of guitarist Rob Allen, Keys-man Nick O’Neill and drummist Jeff France. Also there is the same steady and experienced hand on the production helm in the shape of John Burns (Blind Faith, Genesis, Humble Pie, Jethro Tull, Spooky Tooth, Blodwyn Pig, Ten Years After, Quintessence, David Bowie, King Crimson, Donovan etc etc etc). All this means that anyone already familiar with this bands slick and intelligent brand of rock will have no nasty surprises. Indeed 'Settle Up...' seams to take over exactly where 'Sinking...' left off. We have a dozen songs, all intelligently penned, expertly performed, perfectly produced and wrapped up in a genuine 100% feel good vibe that stands up to repeated listening.
There are no unnecessary show off passages, and whilst there are some very nice little proggy moments on offer at no point do get the feeling the band are attempting being flash for the sake of it.
Instead they just sit back and let the music do the talking. We have tracks like the whimsical introspection of 'The Greatest Day', the spaced out driftiness of '40 Miles' with its superb riff driven backing, the catchy little 'Fortune Teller' with its sly nods to pop psychedelia, the anthemic 'No Angels' and of course the epic closer 'Something's Gotta give' with it's horn lines and great danceable beat.
While this album isn't exactly one that jumps out to bite yer bum, it flows along very nicely indeed and it's become one that I turn to to chill out at the end of the day with a glass of my favourite indulgence, and I'm sure if you gave it a listen you would find the same.

Over the past five years or so, JEBO have already made a lot of friends around the world and I can see this album going a long way to winning them a lot more. Highly recommended. - Jon Wisbey – The Sunday Rock Show - BCFM

In my opinion, the best CD that I have reviewed for Bristol Rocks up until now was JEBO's first release 'Sinking Without You'. The problem with this is that it the second release 'Settle Up or Settle Down' will need to be at least as good to make the grade. I was told that the new album is more contemporary and for a die-hard Planet Rock listener, contemporary is not good. The band have made some major changes between albums, the most critical being a new vocalist. Both the first album and the new album have been produced by John Burns.

Upon first listening the ‘contemporary’ was quite obvious and superficially the new JEBO sound very different from their last incarnation. I was almost put off of this album on first listening but I gave it a chance and threw it into the car player. I have been playing the album now for a couple of weeks and my opinion of it has changed completely. JEBO have not changed quite so much as I had thought. The underlying sound is as complex and satisfying as it was before, the band is driven by songwriter Rob Allen and his brilliant guitar riffs are a main feature throughout the album. The songs are indeed more contemporary and although it took me a while to get used to this, they are also VERY good. The production is as faultless as I would expect it to be with one of the UK’s best on the job.
So is ‘Settle Up or Settle Down’ as good as ‘Sinking Without You’? I think it is, but having said that, the albums have a very different feel. Although it took a while to get used to the change I feel that both albums have achieved a similar status and that is songwriting, musicianship and production of the very highest quality that stands head & shoulders above the rest. JEBO remain a world class band that should be filling stadiums, hopefully their time will come soon.
- CD Review by Kevin from Bristol Rocks

JEBO have gone through some line-up changes since their first album ‘Sinking Without You’, but the band are tighter than ever on their follow up album ‘Settle Up or Settle Down’.

Listing influences as diverse as Rammstein, Del Amitri, Neil Young and cheap red wine (preferably with a screw top), you could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Settle Up or Settle Down’ is going to be a schizophrenic affair with an unusual artistic direction. In fact, the album is quite the opposite, with a solid prog-rock theme throughout and plenty of blues, folk and classical undertones too.

Starting on a riff-tastic high note with ‘And You Will Rise’, you know that this album is going to stay on heavy rotation for some time after the initial listen. This strong, guitar-driven, first song has a perfect mixture of haunting melodies, rich almost-orchestral chord progressions and so many tonal intricacies that you may just miss them the first time.

New lead singer, Kevin J Messenger acts as the ringmaster in this musical circus, adeptly leading the way through each of the 12 tracks. His vocal range may not be to every prog purist’s taste, but there’s no denying that this guy has a cracking set of lungs, as displayed on the album’s fourth track ‘Given The Chance’.

‘The Greatest Day’ is a personal favourite from the album, beginning with lush strings and an acoustic guitar line that will be ripped off by every open mic performer lucky enough to hear JEBO. This soft and beautiful song displays the band’s musical talents perfectly, while staying true to the adage that you should always keep it short and sweet.

‘Settle Up or Settle Down’ is a very emotional album, making it easy to get swept away by the clever lyrics and blues-tinged melodies. Luckily, guitarist Rob Allen is on hand to pick you up and keep the pace with the occasional solo that has heads bobbing and fists in the air, like that on ‘Bring You Down’. The man’s talent is clear throughout the album, but these short breaks to focus on his abilities are a welcome addition on any and every track that he is allowed to run wild with.

Produced by John Burns of Genesis and Jethro Tull fame, this album is stellar in both its clarity and direction. I would even go as far to say that JEBO and John Burns are a match made in heaven, with final track ‘Something’s Got To Give’ blowing everything else out of the water. From the occasional burst of brass to the raw honesty in the vocals, this is one song that is a definite crowd pleaser.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of contemporary prog-rock, it is worth picking up this album purely for its ability to convince you otherwise. - Carly Drew - Live Music Scene