Diary of a Soul Fiend

A lot of the time I get stuff to review because I ask for it. Sometimes things will be passed to me by a colleague or a PR guy because they think it's my thing. And sometimes one comes at you out of the blue and makes a great impression. Saint Jude did just that.
Are they a new name to you? They were to me. Fortunately, that's because this is their debut album which I'm happy about, because it means I haven't missed them prior to this! Saint Jude are a female fronted quintet playing classic rock in a seventies style. While that sounds okay, I don't have a great deal of female acts in my collection. There's a few, but they tend to be more raunchy and raspy - the likes of Alannah Myles, Tina Turner, Lulu, etc. Fortunately, Saint Jude's vocalist, the fine looking Lynne Jackaman, has a delivery like that, along with bags of power and confidence.
Backed by a thumping rhythm section comprised of Colin Palmer Kellogg on bass and drummer Lee Cook, Jackaman's vocals are flanked by the keyboards of Joe Glossop and guitar riffing of Adam Greene. The five piece's opening track `Soul On Fire' is absolutely top drawer. It's like a modern take on great seventies rock, without ripping anybody off or sounding like an inferior version of all those great seventies bands. Jackaman's voice is excellent and combined with the great riffs and hook in the chorus, I was immediately impressed. `Garden Of Eden' and `Little Queen' are just as good, before the pace slows a bit with `Down This Road' - the first song the band wrote together.
There's more slow burners in the form of `Down And Out', `Pleased To Meet You' and `Angel' before the rocking and catchy `Southern Belles' closes the record with another excellent chorus up there with the quality of the first three tracks. That would be the only criticism I could level at this album - with such a great start with the first three and the finale of `Southern Belle', the middle of the album has a group of slower tracks, without much in the way of singalong choruses, all clumped together. They are great songs in their own right, but I'd have preferred another up-tempo one in the mix there - however, that really is me looking for something to find fault with it.
With such a high quality debut, along with the fact they have people like Ronnie Wood getting up to jam with them and Jimmy Page thinks they rock, you have the makings of something great. If seventies rock was (or is) your thing, check these guys out. They do it like they were there in the first place, but with a bright and stunning modern production. Add to the fact they aren't afraid to add some extra flourishes in the form of some well utilised horns, percussion and extra backing vocals, you have a staggeringly accomplished first album. Superb stuff.
James Gaden - Fireworks Magazine/Rocktopia

I bought this after reading a live review, and also the other reviews on this site. Frankly, I am amazed there has not been more of a buzz about this band because this is an outstanding debut album. There are strong elements of 70's rock in several of the tracks but the excellent production brings the sound firmly up to date.

I don't think there is a weak song on the album and, as for the voice-I can safely say that the singing is scarily good- full of raw passion and emotion. If you like this, I would recommend also checking out the latest album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals as there are definately similarities between the 2 bands.

Saint Jude were first described to me by a well-respected music producer as a band who, when performing live, "break sweat from the first song - and that's not because of the stage lights". Basically, they throw literally everything they have in terms of musicality, emotion and raw energy into their music. Luckily, that same energy shines through on this recording, with little evidence of studio dilution.

Separating this band out from a crowded market is surprisingly easy - basically, they do rock and roll the only way it should be done: tight, on the edge and coming from the heart. The musicianship within the band is striking, as guitar riffs and solos take on from where the great riffs and solos of the late 60s left off. Fans of The Faces and Stones will find this a flawless extension of their playlists.

That's all good and well, but what gives the musicianship the edge is the delicacy of the keyboards, which are there throughout but come to the front with stabbing authority just when they are needed most. Led Zeppelins `Boogie with the Stu' is not a bad yardstick to translate my point over with. Splice that with the anchorage of the bass and relentless drumming and you have a unit that can support a voice.

What a voice, too.

Watching Lynne Jackaman live is a memorable experience simply for the confidence she displays in her songs. By this, I mean the innate knowledge and self belief that what she has to offer is an ability to get the message across, without crossing over, regardless of the audience's persuasion. Comparisons with the late great Janis Joplin do not come around that often, but on this occasion they are actually substantiated in full.

In terms of picks, the crashing opener "Soul on Fire" is more like an opening blow, with the power of a TKO to the dome. As the thoughtful track ordering works its way through you, you'll find the more delicate "Down and Out" getting the message home, which is that this band are one of the country's best kept musical secrets, and that's regardless of how you prefer your rock `n' soul to be served.