The Jade

Back in autumn 2009, I received some info about a Finnish alternative rock band called The Jade, who were causing an Internet sensation with their take on the Pet Shop Boys classic 'It’s A Sin’ as well as their own catchy track 'Drowning’. Having gotten in touch with the management, I asked for a review copy of their upcoming debut album 'Seconds Away From Salvation’, alas, I never received it. Assuming that my request had been forgotten, I followed suit and did the same. Imagine my surprise when the disc arrived in my letterbox the other week, complete with several stickers on the envelope - informing me that due to a postal blunder, the package had made a detour through several Baltic countries before being re-directed via land- and water route to yours truly! While words simply fail me on that one, they don’t fail me as far as the CD is concerned – so here then is my (much delayed) review of The Jade’s debut album, with a little background info about the band thrown in.

The Jade are based in Helsinki and the line-up consists of Wille Rosen on vocals and percussion, Pekko Mantzin on guitars, Jann P.H. on bass and last but not least, Sirpa (the only female member) on drums.
While the overall sound is best described as melodic hard rock, each track has its very own nuance and influences, with several standout-tracks worth highlighting.

'Roses Are Burning’ is easily one of the album’s best numbers. With its memorable and catchy chorus and an edgy yet melodious composition, it’s bound to become another fan favourite.

Also worth mentioning is 'Wake-Up’ with an intro that is slightly reminiscent of early Bowie, only to drift over into a harder beat that works particularly well with Wille’s powerful voice.

Things get considerably harder on 'The Flane’. After a fast intro, the song remains its speed and is dominated by a hard drum and percussion beat throughout. It is also extremely danceable (not suggesting that the other tracks aren’t) and is guaranteed to raise your adrenalin levels every time you listen to it.

One of most interesting numbers has got to be 'Beautiful Things’ thanks to its complex and somewhat fragmented arrangement. The whole composition is very 70’s classic rock, going from harder to more mellow and back again to edgy. Echoes of Genesis ring through. Listen with your eyes closed and let your mind embark on a kaleidoscopic odyssey.

Finally, we come to a track that deserves special mentioning not just because it is unusual in itself, but also unusual as far as the lyrical content goes. 'St. Pancras/Kings Cross’ is a musical anti-homage to one of London’s more controversial areas, shall we say. No doubt the inspiration dates back to when some members of the band lived in the capital, and who can blame the lads to spit out lyrics like 'Fire, Streets are crowded, air is thick, extremely hard to breathe, shadows in the afternoon, sun spread over junkyard scene.' While the overall picture of Kings Cross might have slightly improved over the past few years, the air is still thick and extremely hard to breathe, while the streets are more crowded than ever. No wonder the band did a runner back to their native Finland, where there must be enough oxygen to get ones creative juices flowing and turn horrid impressions into great songs. Suffice to say, that particular track is the most aggressive on the entire album, from the composition to the way Wille delivers the lyrics in an almost pissed off manner. Let’s hope The Jade send a copy of it to the Major of London,

The recording of 'Seconds Away From Salvation’ was supervised by Hannu Leidén and Petri Majuri, former producing Hanoi Rocks.
The Jade’s debut album has been released in nine European countries as well as in Japan, which is pretty impressive by any standards! Expect to hear a lot more of the band in the future, after all, the London link is already established.
You can find out more by logging onto www.thejade.fi