I feel the album as a whole could be a little too "Country" for the average Fireworks & Rocktopia reader.
Jericho Summer is a husband and wife duo – Jay Zeffin and Vanessa Joy. Essentially very Country (especially lyrically), there are plenty of Southern Rock hints too thanks to some fine guitar work. Both Zeffin and Joy sing, whether it be alternating on lead vocal duties or dueting and harmonising, with Zeffin's slightly gruffer delivery complementing Joy's more powerful Shania Twain meets Heart's Ann Wilson style.
It is actually the studio musicians featured on the album, however, that will be of the most interest to Fireworks & Rocktopia readers; mainly Journeyman bassist Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders etc.), Grammy Award-winning guitarist Albert Lee, and Guns 'N' Roses and The Dead Daisies axe-slinger Richard Fortus.
There is an air of familiarity about many of the songs as they seem to be very similar in style to other songs that you can't quite put your finger on, but the one I have the most issue with is 'Lonely Town', which is virtually a re-write of Blackberry Smoke's 'One Horse Town' – it's not just similar, it's a blatant rip-off! On that note, there is also a cover of BBS's 'Good One Comin' On' that can't hold a candle to the original or the more Country version by Trent Willmon; Jericho Summer's version has a little more tempo to it, therefore stripping the song of its swagger and groove. Also on the downside, the production isn't great, with the drums occasionally having an annoying echo (unless my promo has a defect).
Negatives aside, the opening cuts 'Night Train' and '100 Times Again' are lively Country Rock numbers with entertaining guitar runs and certainly wouldn't sound out of place on one of The Eagles albums from the debut to 'On The Border', while 'Bitchin' With A Woman', 'Does It Matter' and the power ballad 'Coming Home' display the duo's more Southern tendencies, but I feel the album as a whole could be a little too "Country" for the average Fireworks & Rocktopia reader.
Ant Heeks