Jitterbug - New Roses

Polished Surface

Yonah
2006

Jitterbug is a four-piece instrumental prog rock/metal band from Germany. If that conjures up images of ponytailed guys in Dream Theater shirts, rest easy. This six-track MCD has hints of that older sound, but it has one foot firmly planted in the present. Thus, it has a modern sense of concision and rock riffing that’s very “now.”

What stands out most is the use of piano. A few swirly pads and an old-school “wannabe guitar solo” pop up, but otherwise the keyboards stick with 88’s. This adds a classy air, yet the guitars often venture into more adventurous harmonic territory. It’s an interesting contrast; imagine Dysrhythmia as a European prog band. The guitar work and drumming are fluent, but they keep wankery to a minimum. I’m especially digging the clean tones in “Polished Surface”, the proggiest tune here. They take me to another place, a vibe I haven’t felt since I was a child first discovering prog metal.

The recording is clean, yet slightly rough around the edges. The mix, too, is a little guitar-heavy at the expense of the drums. However, I don’t mind, as music of this type is often hyper-produced. It’s nice, for example, to hear the scrape of a pick digging into a string. This band is still finding its voice, but it’s got all the right ingredients. You can pick up this fine debut by contacting the band.