by Marc Ridley
If you’re the kind of person who thinks pop loses its sheen as soon as guitars get involved, Jessica 6 may make you think differently. They offer the perfect blend of pop magic and grounded, guitar-driven sensibility, and seeing it all live is just, well, awesome.
EQ went down to the XOYO near London’s Old Street last night to check the band out, and what we got was something rare; a shiny pop groove with more than its fair share of cool credibility. It kicked off with the incessant drive which powers through all their songs, the vocals and guitar balanced perfectly to give something ethereal yet raw.
The beautiful Nomi Ruiz is our way in with the band, and her confident and flirty approach to frontwomanship makes sure they own the crowd. Everyone’s eyes are fixed centre stage; Ruiz just transcends anything else going on in the room. Oh, and we have to get our hands on a Jessica 6 studded leather jacket.
It’s not long before the music gets even more hard hitting, with those same driving drums. As far as we can tell from the screams and dancing in the crowd, Jessica 6 provide the Holy Grail of live electro – polished, record-ready pop but real and tangible, metres in front of your face.
The echo in the industrial XOYO club is incredible, it’s so driving it’s almost jungle. Combined with the music, the flashing lights make the whole effect maddening in a beautiful way – these guys fill the entire room. It’s so tempting to see world-famous acts in huge stadia that you forget the magic that can be made by four talented dreamers and a doting crowd.
Their last song is ‘for the ladies’, yet Ruiz and her unmistakeable vocals still has the rest of the audience swooning and supporting her too. The whole package is irresistible: groove and drive; confident lyricism; beautiful and brave.
I guess what we’re trying to say is that you need Jessica 6 in your life. They’re effortlessly cool, incredibly listenable and just generally brilliant. Check them out, live or otherwise, and you’ll know what we mean.