These days, it can feel like ‘alt-’ or ‘indie-’ can be prefixed before any new band who don’t immediately make it onto MTV (and even some that do), and nowhere more so than in today’s alt-/indie-country upswing. But what is it that makes an Americana band ‘alt’ or ‘indie’ – and, more importantly, does it really matter? Shouldn’t new practitioners of a genre of music be able to stand on their own, without having to outright eschew the most popular musicians in their vein? Can an indie music magazine like some straight-up new Americana? With their new record, In Verses, Jones Street Station proves all you need is some good music in the ol’ U.S.-of-A.
JSS do have some indie-cred, from being based in Brooklyn (where else?…) to their monthly ‘Live From Down Home’ free series of shows at Housing Works Used Bookstore (QRO venue review) – and if you want to talk about eschewing, they did (slightly) change their name from The Jones Street Boys (which was taken from The Warriors – “Can you dig it?!?”) for, among other reasons, the unfortunate similarities to The Jonas Brothers. But the five young men are quite comfortable in their sound that would fit far better on the AM radio dials of pre-New Country (and pre-ClearChannel…) Middle America than a Pitchfork podcast of today.
And so they should be, as In Verses contains some of the best Americana, alt-country, whatever you want to call it out there, headed up by “Slow Lights” and its near-perfect Americana hook & rhythm. And only “Slow Lights” keeps “Flyover State”, their love letter to the Midwestern homes (except singer/keyboardist Jonathan Benedict, who’s from Midwestern New Jersey…), from being the record’s standout. The band goes more southern in the twang of “Front Door”, while there’s a great driving rhythm married to an Americana anthem on “Oh Victoria”.
JSS’s rock side is, however, superior to their more stripped, sadder fare. Opener “Evergreen” is some real harmonious beauty, but the softer “Winter Waltz” gets completely lost on In Verses, sandwiched between “Slow Lights” & “Flyover” – the band should either have put the two right next to each other, or separated them far more on the track list. The higher “Favor” is nice, but a bit too much of a mainstream soft-country song (something they did better on “Tall Buildings”, from 2007 debut Overcome). The band puts their heart on their sleeve even in their rockers, so when they go soft, one can’t help but hope for them to kick it back up, like they do half-way through “Neville”, which picks up energy as they shout.
Jones Street Station certainly do tempt being compared with indie-horror-of-horrors, today’s country music (except on the somewhat more urban “Open”, whose smooth sounds make it interesting and memorable, but you wouldn’t want a whole record of the near-adult contemporary style). But In Verses doesn’t need to be alt-/indie-anything – just 100% Americana.
