New punk band with members from NY and Philly, some of the same people who brought us Sirkka.

Our take: New York’s Jailer caught my attention because they share a member with Sirkka, whose 2020 cassette was one of my favorite releases of that year. While Jailer’s tape boasts a stylish design sensibility and perfect DIY recording that reminds me of Sirkka, the sound is very different. Gruff and midpaced, Jailer doesn’t seem to ground their sound and style in any existing aesthetic, and consequently these songs have a classic feel that makes them seem like they could have come from any time or place in punk’s history. The riffs and songs are straightforward, but they just work in a seamless and elegant way. The adjective that keeps popping into my head is “meaty.” If all-flash, no-substance “worship” bands are like empty calories, Jailer is like a big bowl of brown rice, tofu, and vegetables… unpretentious, but nutritious and satisfying. The closest comparison I can come up with would be UK82-era bands like Mayhem or Blitzkrieg… bands that weren’t as intense as Ultra Violent and not as anthemic as Blitz or Crux, but had good, solid songs and a strong sound that can hold your attention without begging for it. The closest Jailer gets to flash are the catchy, multi-tracked lead guitar melodies that pop up a couple of times (most memorably on the closing track, “Human Momentum”), but while these moments might be the ones that stick out on your first listen, it’s the solidly constructed tunes that will keep you flipping this tape.