Jynxt, Folk and Ska Souls.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 8th November 2008.

A late cancellation by The Pepperbox left the line-up pieced together by The Little Red Roster reduced to two! Thankfully the variation of musicians left compensates and keeps a good sized crowd thoroughly entertained throughout.

FOLK AND SKA SOULS from Ampthill may have one of the cheekiest band names on the local circuit (!), but in laymans terms, the name sums up what the band purvey. Reduced unfortunately this evening by the unexpected non-appearance of their bass player, the remaining quartet are thankfully up to the task. Folk And Ska Souls have a sound propagated by the work of Madness, The Coral and The Levellers. ‘Hypocrite’ is a recently written composition. A fast song heavily influenced, it seems, by 2-tone. Although they sadly lack a brass section, it's ‘Matter of Time’ which brings traditional ska to my immediate mind. The tremendous support they are given must be mentioned. Much as New Groove Formation seem to bring practically half of Ampthill with them, their 'junior' version are following in the same tracks.

Mixed hybrids JYNXT are always a welcome addition to the Esquires gig calendar. An eagerly anticipated arrival. With due respect to the other members of the band, it does seem vocalists Tally and Blaine are the main focal point for most people's attention. ‘Living in my Head’ is the current download. It's notable for an elongated avalanche of indie hip-hop 'scatty' vocals. But, oh yes, it's the first of many sightings of the Jynxt megaphone! Contrasting as always, there is a metal blast infusion which is stunningly injected into the intro for ‘Take this Pain Away’. Wow, it works, but the differing styles that the band use can be noted especially on ‘Cool Breeze’. Tonight is only the second time that Jynxt have played it live. It's relatively newly written, but this jazzy blues number is warmly applauded at its conclusion. With a total barrage of instantly catchy songs, the rest of Jynxt's set is again highlighted by Blaine's stage antics! ‘Did you Forget’ and ‘Lies’ musically link everything together effortlessly. Tonight is all about quality not quantity.