REVIEW: Jump for the Sails – Astoria (Album)

Jump for the Sails are a fresh punk band hailing from New York City. With their very first album, Astoria released back in March, the band’s debut should be seen as a successful one. The album brings a mixture of styles, with drums and guitars varying from old school punk sounds to sometimes more metal related styles. In all honestly, Astoria is an album that punk fans should definitely listen to.

Punk music is in no way a dying genre. But for bands to start as an out-and-out punk band, it is becoming somewhat of a rarity and unless you are part of an underground scene then you’ll miss out. New York City has always been a place where punk has thrived and possesses that scene. Just take a moment to look at the bands that have come from ‘the big apple’ and you may be surprised, it will always have that background to it. However, other cities don’t have such a privilege and that’s what makes Jump for the Sails‘ debut album so exciting to listen to.

X Marks the Spot was released as a single back in 2016 and acts as the album’s hit. The song itself is very good with a funky bass line at the start and well written chorus that drives home the punk feel. It is perhaps the track that caters for most within Astoria, yet the album has plenty to offer. The opening track itself, Derivative would slot perfectly into any playlist containing bands like Bad Religion and Pennywise. 

The third track, Clench possesses a much more metal based intro. Iron Maiden-esc guitars rattle through the first minute before flashing through the rest of the song… Even the drums sound like Nicko McBrain wrote the parts himself. By the time vocals come in, we have a more punk fused hybrid that perhaps makes this the best song off Astoria. But with this album, proclaiming a song as the best from the list will always be controversial. 8 Bit and From the Ashes both contain ska elements that exemplify how much the album has to offer. It seems like Astoria contains everything you could possibly wish for in a punk album. From traditional sounds, to metal and ska, this is an album that must be heard!