If you're interested in traveling back to a time of bare bones blues rock, Jim Hayes Band has your number with their latest album Sign Of The Times. It's the kind of thing where the context is key. Jim Hayes has been around the block when it comes to the New York City music scene. He has worked in many capacities with many bands. He has graced historical venues like CBGB and Limelight with his presence. Now he's home in North New Jersey making music with lifelong friend and bassist Tom Parsells as well as guitarist Mike Nappi. There is no doubt when you hear this music that Hayes is a serious history buff. The band sticks to traditional formatting and tactics when it comes to cutting a rock album and I have always felt there will always be an audience for that.
This album is a bit of a time hop. Again, Hayes keeps it very traditional. The album definitely has a live element in mind which means it's just one of those albums a band can play through without much of a fuss. Sticking to the standards gives them the luxury of being very comfortable with the material and you can hear it. Admittedly I think a little more experimentation in the structure and musical realm of things wouldn't have hurt. However, I know there are plenty of purists who would disagree with me. I think my favorite track on a musical level happens to be the final one on the album "Hungry." I feel this was their freshest take and was one that stuck with me. I think one thing that didn't help the issue of everything sounding a little dated were some of the production choices. As I mentioned, this album has a lot of live energy to it, especially in the vocal department. At times the album felt like it was embracing that energy and other times it was a bit more indecisive. Especially on the instrument end. it all felt a little too far away. I know there were was a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this album, but it was hard to feel it when it felt so boxed in. I have a feeling listening to these guys live would give a whole other perspective. There have been albums under the handle of Jim Hayes Band, however this is the first album with the current line up. Hayes has a lot of plans for the future, and I hope he can see them all through. As I said, there is always an audience for this very pure form of rock n’ roll. You cannot deny the love this crew has for the genre and how deeply committed they are to it. I think their audience will find them with little effort.
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