Jai-Alai Savant

The Jai-Alai Savant’s (pronounced "hy-ly sa-vont”) debut EP Thunderstatement is a masterful experience in the balances of punk and dub. Sounding not unlike the Police, which the band claim as an influence along with Fugazi, these five songs will likely translate into classics as time goes by. The title track is an ecstatic blast of sharp guitar work and vocal stylings set atop deep, rolling rhythms. "Sugar Free” is another extremely memorable track that flits through moods of melancholia and manic textures of pop sensibilities. This Chicago-based trio have composed an EP of immense proportions. Fronted by Ralph Darden, formerly of Philadelphia’s Franklin, Mike Ali, and Jeremy Gewertz, these three have spent only the past year defining their sound, but it already has the capacity to capture so many facets of music and imagery. The marriage between dub, reggae and punk rock here is seamless, unwavering, and bewildering in the best possible way.