Sour Deluxe

American guitar pop sensibilities mixed equally with the shoe gazing brit-pop of the early '90s. This could be a potential disaster if not handled correctly. Sour Deluxe pulls it off simply because the songs are just that damn good. Layers of catchy guitars hand-in-hand with a well-crafted rack of effects lay the groundwork. Guitarist/vocalist Jamie Jacobs' unique voice, sounding a bit like a less squeaky Jane Wiedlin if Jane were singing cabaret, seals the deal with playful lyrics and infectious harmonies. If you dig: Cheap Trick, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Veruca Salt - GirlsBeersGuitars.com

Sour Deluxe "White Noise" Fronted by Jamie Jacobs, whose incredibly confident vocals crossbreed the playful sassiness of Blondie's Deborah Harry with a cool, calm and collected psychedelic outlook. Comprised of five tracks, Sour Deluxe's latest effort, "White Noise," bristles, blinks and bucks with shifting rhythms smothered in sheets of fuzzy textures and bracing melodies. The title cut of the record, which obviously lends a nod to The Velvet Underground, launches the show off in a most commanding manner, and sets the standard for the rest of the songs that follow. "Here Comes Honey" and "Cranky" especially stage a fantastic job of capturing Sour Deluxe's flair for sonic inventiveness. Driven by crashing waves that push, pull and release, "White Noise" is rampant with paralyzing moments. A solid pop sensibility also marks the band's material, providing a radio-ready bent that works wonders within the experimental trimmings. - Beverly Patterson, Twist and Shake Magazine

Sour Deluxe “White Noise” (Sour Deluxe 2004) Available: Now. ‘White Noise’ is a 5 song EP from the Chicago based band Sour Deluxe. Its a fine bunch of powerpop songs with singer Jamie Jacobs distinctive and strong vocals dominating. Imagine the crunching guitars of Redd Kross with a singer somewhere between Shirley Manson and Sonya from Echobelly, with maybe a touch of Voice Of The Beehive in there too, and you’re in the right territory. Title track ‘White Noise’ rocks wonderfully, the only minor criticism would be that sometimes there is too much going on, like the band have been let loose with a shed load of studio effects and feel the need to try them all out. ‘Cranky’ and ‘Butterfly Collection’ have a grungier guitar sound, but both are chock full of great hooks, and ‘Sleeper Car’ is a fine slow burner. A full-length record next time would be quite something if this quality is maintained. - Americana-UK.com

Guitarist-vocalist Jamie Jacobs and the boys in Sour Deluxe continue to pursue their Brit pop meets Midwestern power-pop sound on yet another winning indie release, the "White Noise" EP. These five tunes find the group growing past its Garbage fixation and delivering its strongest set of tunes yet (in a just world, "Butterfly Collection" would be a major hit). - Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun Times

These Chicago rock athletes try to put a new spin on the girl-fronted indie rock schtick established by bands like Veruca Salt and Tsunami, but with more than a touch of Garbage and Pumpkins influence. I like it because lead throat Jamie is kicking out "Let's Start a Revolution" like a modern-day Republica doing "Ready to Go." When she needs to be throaty, she's throaty; when she needs to be sexy, she's throaty; and when she wants to be cute she's downright precious.

Playing tunes that are more pop-rock than indie, Sour Deluxe is a band that's ripe for discovery but may never be, rock being what it is. But in a time when Avril is considered good chick rock, the radio world needs something like this only to balance things out for a teen-aged world that should know better but doesn't. - Tim McMahan, Lazyeye.com

If you need a hot little disc to keep you company this summer, this is it. Five little power pop tunes, full of attitude and flavor, this EP from Sour Deluxe is all you need to beat the summertime blues. Singer/guitarist Jamie Jacobs has a sweetly sly voice--- you can almost picture her singing with a flirty smirk. She exchanges her sharply delivered vocals with her quick guitar licks, packing a one-two pop punch.

The band wastes no time getting to business on the title track; after a brief intro, Jacobs launches into driving pop mode--- if you can imagine the B-52's with a serious fuzz box and a drummer in need of sedation, you'll get the drift. Butterfly Collection ups the ante, allowing Jacobs to work her superstar magic with cascading vocal harmonies and punked-out guitar riffage.

This one is just a pressure cooker waiting to explode, and I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Sour Deluxe. Pay them a visit, and have a great summer. MISH MASH Mandate: Summer of Sour - Mish Mash

HighBias.com Album Reviews
by Michael Toland, July 1, 2004

Ass-kickin' power pop from the Windy City. Frontperson Jamie Jacobs (along with lead axe Greg Jones) pen almost ridiculously catchy melodic rock tunes and sings them in a strong, appealing voice that could get her a gig on American Idol—fortunately she prefers loud guitars to snide judges. Fiery, fun cuts like "Here Comes Honey" and the title track would make radio a hip place to be (which means they haven't a chance in a Clear Channel world), and the quartet even makes power ballads sound good again with "Sleeper Car." My only complaint about White Noise is that it's only five songs long. Such a tease. - Michael Toland, HighBias.com

Chicago rockers Sour Deluxe continue to impress on the five-song EP White Noise, drawing on the main ingredients that have made its previous releases successful. Lead singer/guitarist Jamie Jacobs cuts loose with some strong vocals on the brazen title track, declaring, "When I said I'd rock your world, I meant I'd ruin your life". Guitarist Greg Jones continually challenges her with his energetic strumming although Sour Deluxe (drummer Trip Small and bassist Evan Hydzik round out the band) remains consistently melodic. "Butterfly Collection," a tune about escaping a stifling relationship, is built around a lighter arrangement, and features some intricately layered vocals. The song also includes what has become a Sour Deluxe trademark; the extended instrumental break. "Cranky" balances between hard rock and a 1960s girl band sound, and said '60s influence surfaces again on the catchy romance of "Here Comes Honey." The ballad "Sleeper Car" is not as successful, with Jacobs unable to overcome the strained imagery of the lyrics, despite some sultry vocals. Nonetheless, a willingness to experiment bodes well for a full-length Sour Deluxe effort in the future. - Terrence Flamm, Amplifier Magazine

A little cool rock n roll EP here, with a nice Red Kross vibe, but with female vocals. Maybe a less "Alternative" Veruca Salt kinda thing going on. Fuzzy Bass grooves and kick in the head drums, nice guitar whine and fly, and the vocals are almost perfectly cool. There are slight musical references thrown in all over the place, from a little REM pop to a Jefferson Airplane break, to possible Velvet Underground touched lyrics, and an Imperial Teen sense of movement, but it¹s all packaged nicely in a power pop nugget that makes me feel good about pretty much everything again. I think I could love this band. - Jack Rabid, Big Takeover

Sour Deluxe continue in the tradition of female fronted local outfits like Veruca Salt and Starball, by crafting perfect pop-rock with an undeniable female voice fronting the group. Not that Sour Deluxe are a reatread of Louise Post and Tamar Berk’s old stomping grounds. Rather, the group pick up where they left off on their most recent release, White Noise. The band can switch it up from vulnerable to defensive, all while maintaining smart melodies and impressive harmonies. Case in point is the disc’s “Butterfly Collection,” one of 2004’s best local tracks so far. Live, the group is hard to ignore, due in no small part to frontwoman Jamie Jacob’s undeniable stage presence. The show is part of the International Pop Overthrow festival that recently hit the city and has brought out Chicago’s brightest hopes for pop-rock. - Q101