Jaded Sun – Gypsy Trip

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SiAn Records
Produced by Richard Mouser

Ireland has a very healthy rock ‘n’ roll scene these days, with Glyder and The Answer getting a lot of recognition internationally and now Jaded Sun out-doing their fellow countrymen’s efforts with their own flawless offering.

Although they name bands like Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones and The Black Crowes as their influences, the biggest aural similarity seems to be with Queen and early Aerosmith. Slow-paced Crave, for example, is both brilliant and pure Queen, and their presence can be felt on raging rockers like Fever and Higher as well.

Opener Breaking Through drips with the early Aerosmith, or even early blues-based Whitesnake feel. Indeed blues is a major part of Jaded Sun’s sound, and Hey You! exemplifies this with its lively The-Answer-meets-Gary-Moore feel. Sweetness follows, sounding like British blues rock heroes The Hoax, again with Queen overtones – particularly with John Maher’s vocals – and She’s Got Class is incredibly Hoax-like with it’s bluesy guitar melodies at the start, then the main grooving riff has more big hints of Aerosmith (who’s sound can also be heard on Positive, along with some riffing reminiscent of The Cult).

One magnificent departure from the mixture of classic ’70s rock influences is He Knows Home, a sprawling, lengthy southern blues ballad with hints of The Black Crowes and Molly Hatchet (and more Aerosmith) with an incredibly satisfying ending – one of the album highlights, and that’s not an easy thing to pick out.

Perfect sound expertly produced by renowned rock producer Richard Mauser this is the kind of raw classic rock bands are constantly trying to produce but try too hard and lose the genuine attitude. Gypsy Trip is essentially one of the most consistently good rock albums not just of recent years, but of all time, I kid you not.

“ mixture of classic ’70s rock ”

Tracklist: Breaking Through / Crazyman / Fever / Hey You! / Crave / Can’t Stop / Sweetness / He Knows Home / Positive / Higher / She’s Got Class

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Hard Rock, Jaded Sun