Sombre playboy.
Never judge a book by it’s cover they stress to us, however looking at an EP cover with a red heart, and then looking at the tattoo design on the CD, along with the name of the band, Jaded Playboy, and you may be forgiven for thinking that this band from Edinburgh are either a hair-metal band hungover from the early 90’s, or a punk band. However, Jaded Playboy, whilst still subscribing to some of that mixed ideology are not either of these things.
‘Broken Heartland’ is a four-track EP that has less hooks and melodies, and more depth and musical maturity concluding as a more thinking-man’s rock band. First track, ‘Lost Inside’ starts off with some middle-of-the-road riffs and the vocals kick in sounding a cross between REM and Blackboard Jungle. There is certainly a comparison to be had with REM, through Scott’s aforementioned vocals, and the tight musical section that leans more towards a rockier sound and away from the poppier moments of Michael Stripes men. ‘Hero To Zero’ leans more towards a slow to medium tempo rock song, with a hint of Buckcherry flashing in.
‘I’m Not These’ has a great Bass line that chugs along whilst Ross’s guitar playing is sparing and more thoughtful, before the chorus that brings them all together perfectly. Then in the electric/acoustic song, ‘Broken Heartland’, Scott’s vocals sound a little more whisky soaked and gravely. It’s an example of how the slow songs are not mushy lighter-in-the-air tunes but this is a little more rock in the vein of Staind.
The four songs here are good. There is a lack of real fast paced balls-to-the-wall rock anthems here, and arguably you could suggest that this is because the songs hold more emotion at the bands more comfortable mid-tempo range. It doesn’t necessarily make my heart miss a beat, but it doesn’t make me flatline either. It’s well done, but missing a certain oomph, whilst rock always has a place for slow tunes, like Dee Snider once said, “I wanna rock! Yeah!”