THE JIGANTICS – Seconds Out (Rawtone RTR20078)

Seconds OutThe Jigantics’ debut album, Daisy Roots, was a fun, slightly eccentric set that failed to disguise the band’s serious intent and their second outing, Seconds Out, is rather less light-hearted. That’s not to say that there is any lack of imagination or music to rock along with – far from it – but there are fewer laughs here.

As before, they have drawn material from far and wide to add to four originals written by Martin Fitzgibbon with help from Mark Cole. The set opens with ‘Take Me For Longing’, originally by Alison Krauss but here nicely rocked up. That’s followed by one of the most original takes on a punk song you’ll ever hear. ‘Rebel Yell’ has been taken apart, cleaned and oiled and put back together in what initially reminds me of film noir, if that makes sense, but builds inexorably to a climax and is stretched out to more than five minutes – unheard of when it was written.

As well as the opener, Marion Fleetwood is given the lead on two of the slower, perhaps more dramatic songs. The first is Richard Shindell’s much-covered civil war song, ‘Reunion Hill’, and the second, which reflects its sentiments, is James Grant’s ‘I Will Not Wear The Willow’ on which she shares the vocals with Christine Collister and becomes a complete string section as the song moves to its close.

The light-heartedness comes from the original compositions. ‘Radio’ begins with a clever double entendre, ‘Frankly’ wraps up its politics in an upbeat arrangement and ‘Hate To See You Go Love To Watch You Walk Away’ speaks for itself. Martin Fitzgibbon’s closer, ‘Angels Wings’ proves that there is great depth to his song-writing and that he’s good for so much more than the light relief.

Every member of the band is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. Rick Edwards and Lyndon Webb produce note-perfect acoustic guitar fills with assistance from producer Aaron Taylor and Lyndon provides bass, keyboards and second fiddle while Rick and Mark Cole offer slide guitar. Throw in accordion, harmonica, mandolin and Fitzgibbon’s drums and percussion and you have a hell of a band here, not to mention a hell of fine record.

Dai Jeffries

Artists’ website: www.thejigantics.com

The Jigantics’ album launch sound-check at The Convent:


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