The Jacques – ‘Alka Seltzer’

The Jacques have returned.

‘Alka Seltzer’ is the latest single from London band The Jacques ahead of their first shows in two years. Fans of the band will not be disappointed by this new composition, and ‘Alka Seltzer’ will surely bring The Jacques new fans.

The new single sounds like an Arctic Monkeys take on heavy metal, with its aggressively distorted guitars that spew out riff after riff. The amps sound on the verge of explosion. But there’s a bit of a 60s psychedelic vibe with the organ and second riff. Things only get weirder with the strangely double-tracked vocals. They almost talk over each other, argue without raising their voice. It creates a bizarre yet subtle sensation.

The second half of ‘Alka Seltzer’ is the complete opposite of the first. The tempo is slowed down, and the drums are so light they sound like rain drops falling against a window. The distorted guitars are switched in favour of clean tremelo jangle arpeggics. And that is what is most interesting about ‘Alka Seltzer’. The first half is like a nightmare, the second like a sweet dream.

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst

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