Age shouldn't matter a jot when it comes to judging the quality of the music a band make. Yet when you learn that a group as confident, captivating and downright fun as Jungle Doctors are all about 17 years old you can't help but be a little more amazed than you would if they were in their mid 20s. So let's try and put that fact to the back of our minds here and be objective. This debut EP isn't an excitingly new form of music, it's essentially what would be labelled as indie - a hugely broad term - so if we chuck in names such as Little Comets, The Maccabees, The Coral and Bombay Bicycle Club you'll know where we're coming from. Guitar-based music, fairly routine in format and instrumentation, but with a unique spark of innovation and playfulness about the songwriting (which is certainly impressive).
Lead track 'Boat Song' skips along on a dancing guitar line and is one of those tracks it's difficult not to like. The high-speed 'Fugitive' could be one for those who prefer the more commercial end of Jamie T's back-catalogue. They rattle through it at full pelt, not skipping a beat; they can certainly play. The British guitar scene needs a fresh injection of energy and vigour and these five are doing no harm in that respect. The buzzing 'Landslide' is like a long-lost dreampop/garage fusion with tropical undertones and is joyfully lively. The six-minute 'I Can't Believe' shows there's more to them than bouncing three-minute guitar-pop tunes, yet it's not drawn-out and doesn't take any ill-advised turns into indulgence. It simply needed to be that long to get its point across. It's a corker of an EP, and (sorry to bring age up again) if Jungle Doctors stay together and continue this progression, just think where they could be in five years time?
Jungle Doctors' website
Stream or buy the EP
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