Talent hidden in Jucifer's unclassifiable music

Jucifer l I name you destroyer

I'd never heard the band Jucifer so I didn't know what to expect when I first listened to the group's CD, "I Name You Destroyer."

I like all types of music so I was curious to hear what genre the group fell into.

I came away thinking the band from Athens, Ga., doesn't have a distinct genre. The instruments are clearly rock, while the vocals are similar to pop on most of the songs. Despite the lively beats and rhythms that make you want to jump around, the vocals can be monotonous and hard to understand.

Edgar Livengood is a skillful instrumentalist. But while the instrumental portion of this CD is fantastic, the vocalist, Amber Valentine, whispers and mumbles too much. When she's not doing that, she's screaming.

Although most of the CD has unintelligible lyrics that don't match the music, it all comes together for one song. In "Memphis," the sound that Jucifer seems to be trying to create finally happens. The lyrics are catchy and the bass rhythm is strong.

I'm hoping that the members of Jucifer realize that "Memphis" is the best of both worlds, and they repeat this sound on their next CD.

The members of Jucifer are obviously talented; they just need to make some adjustments.

Grade: C

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