Jeepster

"What If All The Rebels Died?" CD

Distile

Genre: indie rock

San Francisco, CA

October 2009

A young band, Jeepster is not without its faults, but What If All The Rebels Died? is a remarkably tight and mature debut album for the trio. Dramatic and dark, it exudes a solemn urgency that won't be unfamiliar to fans of The Pixies, No Knife, and Broken Social Scene.

Being pop music at heart, Jeepster's best moments are those that wed their moody slickness to ample melodic immediacy. Brief popper "Ex Oh" achieves this goal ably - boasting a seriously Pixies-esque guitar part, its two minutes breeze by sweetly in an infectious haze. Also delightful are the juicy hooks of "Sweet 1:23" (vocals could be more convincing, though) and brooding "Ditches." On the less poppy and more atmospheric side of things, "What If All The Rebels Died?" and brisk "A Day in the Dark" conjure up hefty energy. Still, several songs drag along with little to recommend them - among them the overly simplistic "You Can't Stop" and flat "Fiction Fiction."

This being a relatively lo-tech release (it was recorded in a friend's cabin, for starters), the production does lack dynamism at points. Next time around, the band will want to distill its music down to its strongest elements. With that said, this slick debut boasts impressive verve, and I have little doubt that Jeepster could become a seriously solid band if the members keep on perfecting their sound.

jeepster's myspace

Michael Tau

[Vitals: 10 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2009]