Jude/Ross

“Who’s gonna save my soul from these midnight blues and AM rock & roll?” wonders Michael Ross midway through “O Lord,” effectively capturing the swaggering appeal of Jude/Ross’ eponymous debut. The local quartet has a classic power-pop sensibility that fits well within the nexus of Big Star and Jonathan Richman and certainly benefits not only from the full-band, straight-to-tape recording approach but also from the like-minded production touch of Leatherbag’s Randy Reynolds. Clocking 10 songs in just over 26 minutes, Jude/Ross clearly treads on less-is-more terrain as the lean arrangements lend a rough jaggedness to both the jumpy, piano bop ripping through opener “The Knife” and the slow burn of “On the Hudson.” Singer Ross proves throughout that he has a knack for turning phrases, his nonchalant delivery at times recalling post-Pavement Stephen Malkmus, while the back-alley rockabilly rave-up “Delmar Lanes” proves the band has the goods to deliver live.

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This article appears in June 26 • 2009.

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