State of Grace has all of the ingredients of a great British band. The lead singer, Sarah Simmonds, is a classically trained siren with dreamy, exotic vocals. The lead musician of the band, Paul Arnall, is a former producer. And, along with a few bandmates, they make trippy, dancy, pop music in the now classic British style.
"Great!", you exclaim. You love that kind of band and with good reason. But don't get too excited. While State of Grace shows all of the proper signs, it never rises beyond the genre it chooses. Yes, the hooks are there as well as the music and a steady beat, but I keep feeling like I've heard this all before.
The second track, "Hello", probably conjures up the most immediate comparison. Sure, there have been lots of songs titled "Hello", but this one immediately recalls The Beloved's tune. It has a synthetic beat, a mellow tone, and a pleading vocal line that all work together perfectly. The song is promising, but unfortunately, there's no edge, no spark. It's an immaculate song without passion.
The next song on the album, "And Love Will Fall", doesn't really get me going either. It's a pretty tune, and Simmonds' vocals remind me a bit of the girl from Shelleyan Orphan. The guitar wails along with vocals, and the beats are a bit rousing, but the song never really comes alive and draws me in.
Probably the best tracks are the extended opuses included from State of Grace's previous single releases. These are the tracks that got them signed, and they show the true promise of the band. "Camden" does actually inspire me. It is truly dreamy and trippy with echoes upon echoes layering in and out of each other below Simmonds' vocals. This is the kind of song one could get into at 5 in the morning after raving all night.
Too often however, Jamboreebop tends toward an average and mundane version of what the bio sheet calls "hard-grooving electronic dream pop." It is an immaculately produced and performed album, and there really isn't anything bad about it. And that is ultimately the problem. By doing everything right, there is no chance for going beyond the normal boundaries. That said, State of Grace's Jamboreebop does everything it should. Everything, that is, but get you in the groove.
