Review: Speckled Jim s/t

By Kristina Mameli, the Skinny

Vancouver quartet Speckled Jim happens to have an incredibly interesting back story. The band formed in 1993, played together for about two and half years before taking a brief hiatus---that is, if you consider thirteen and a half years brief. In January 2009, the band remerged, its’ members now a part of other notable acts such as the Bughouse Five, the Hard Rock Miners, Filthy Rocket and the Rubes.

Their latest toe-tapping effort, which happens to be their debut self titled, contains eleven catchy tracks recorded in ’94. With only one song clocking in at over four minutes, the band perfectly combines elements of '50s rock with hints of early punk in a way that almost hints at rockabilly.

Track after track offers sing along gold. Twang laced tracks like “Damned Cover Band,” anthemic love songs such as “Still the One” and the grit of the gang vocals backing “Stumble and Run” offer moments of MC5 and/or the Clash meets the Replacements.

“Castle Door” and “Witness,” which finish off the album, have a warm quality about them as if recorded off the floor of a jam session on reel to reel, making for a listening experience that sticks to the music’s humble roots.

The band was recently the opening act on the Cobalt’s final bill and delivered a memorable performance that makes one hope to soon be able to expect more from the Vancouver troubadours.