Clocks Are Out Of Time. The Jack Rubies

For multiple murderers or multiple cloned versions of one murderer, Jack Ruby, who shot John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, The Jack Rubies sound rather conventional and in an alternative way quite pleasant.

Fact is, I'm listening to a resurrected band. The Jack Rubies started somewhere in the 1980s, released two albums and stopped like most bands are prone to do. Over three decades onwards the original members regrouped and release their third album with Big Stir, the label that releases many a gem by bands I would never have heard of were it not for Christina and Rex!

Clocks Are Out Of Time is such an album. With its nostalgic sound, it fits in the current musical zeitgeist with all its postpunk bands of the late 10s and 20s. I am not familiar with the two previous albums, but I would not be surprised if The Jack Rubies took off once again where they left off. Ian Wright (lead vocals and guitar), SD Ineson (backing vocals and guitar), Steve Brockway (bass), Lawrence Giltnane (percussion), and Peter Maxted (drums, and also the album's producer), play a 1980s style postpunk on the verge of melodic prowess and little stabs at the outer edges what is considered pop music.

Press photo

Should you ask me to compare the music, the first band coming to mind is The The, because of the softer, yet very pleasant voice of Ian Wright. He has that smooth kind of voice, yet easily can throw in a sneer here and there, like a real punk singer. Musically, many other band of the 1980s could be mentioned. I will let you fill in your own favourites. What has been left behind with the years, are the rougher edges. Now these were the edges that made me not like or at best three or four songs of, an album at the time. Clocks Are Out Of Time is not marred by this issue. It is simply very good. The fivesome has not forgotten how to play their instruments nor how to write a good song.

My guess is, that The Jack Rubies have seriously tried to make it 35 years ago but did not manage for whatever reason and now can return to music because they love creating it. On the basis of Clocks Are Out Of Time I would say that this has paid off. This is an album that deserves an audience of younger postpunk fans and of fans of old. Clocks Are Out Of Time contains enough excitement to seriously enjoy it, all the way.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Clocks Are Out Of Time here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clocks-are-out-of-time