After reuniting following a decade-long hiatus— the band said in a statement that they missed one another as well as their fans—Jump, Little Children truly return to active duty with their most accessible effort yet. Dubbed Sparrow , the band says that the title represents the act of reclaiming the thing that one loves and, given the rabid fan support—a pledge campaign launched last January reached full funding within three months—and a series of repeated reunion tours, it is apparent that Sparrow finds them in full flight yet again. The band’s eclectic sound, honed over the course of four previous studio albums, finds more of a constant in the earnest folk noir that distinguished them early on, but hints of electronica, atmospheric ambiance, pop and even rap find the band escalating the intrigue even more than before. Comparisons to The Lone Bellow, Mumford & Sons and The Decemberists appear inevitable, especially in such songs as “Voyeuropa,” “White Buffalo” and “Je Suis Oblivion.” Yet, Jump, Little Children, who originally convened in the early-‘90s, actually predate those current trendsetters by a number of years. With a sound based on chamber-pop precepts— accordion, mandolin, melodica, tin whistle, cello and double bass form their instrumental essence—the hushed, sensual allure found in “Cyclorama,” “The Protagonist Moves On,” “Boyhood,” and “Hand on My Heartache” finds Sparrow both a credible comeback and one worthy of luring new fans into the fold as well.
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