Jada-Jada
(Bristol Entertainment)
Jada is a group of four girls
from Boston and Philadelphia who are creating a bit of a buzz in New England and
nationally. They have opened on shows for the likes of B2K, Hall and
Oates, even Susan Tedechi. The variety of these acts they've shared the
stage with shows gives you an idea that they're not just one-trick ponies, they
have the ability to shift styles and ideas.
The EP starts off on a
lighthearted feel with a cute sing-a-long "Anything" which is wickedly catchy...
it has Radio Disney written all over it. "All I Ever Do" is even better
with a nice subtle reggae lilt and a wonderfully smoky lead vocal. They
also can dip into techno-dance on "Indigo," which feels like a vintage club
twirler. "Everybody" has a snaky backbeat and charm.
This five-song debut EP is a
nice apertif to the band, a good intro that runs out long before you
could get tired of them. Not that you are likely to, Jada offer a
sparkling brand of giddy pop and ear candy. They have strong voices.
The girls are young and cute and peppy and photogenic. Sounds like a
formula for pop success, right?
If Jada has a problem,
it has to be bad timing. This EP would have been huge two or three years
ago, but now girl singers tend to have more of a rock edge, like Avril Lavigne
and Michelle Branch. Similarly cute girl groups like Play, B*Witched and
Dream have pretty much disappeared. The artists that even Jada's publicists compare them
to... Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys... are
all having to reinvent themselves because they have eroding audiences that look
at them as just pop acts. I
hope that Jada sees the trend and spreads their wings a little more, too.
(6/03)
