After
playing Jake Bugg’s eponymously titled album to death over the past few weeks,
it is only fair that I finally get around to writing my review of it. So here
goes…
Jake
Bugg is a very talented 18-year old singer/songwriter from Nottingham who has
recently recorded a slot on the ‘Live at Abbey Road’ TV series and played some
high profile gigs over in New York. His style takes in a Britpop feel with
distinct echoes of Bob Dylan in his voice that he uses to great effect as he
sings about his life growing up in the East Midlands.
You’re
probably all familiar with the first track on here; his ‘Lightning Bolt’ single
has been a popular tune on the radio for some time now. A gritty and pacey
number, ‘Lightning Bolt’ is a great opener to this album.
Jake’s
humour comes out on the next number, ‘Two Fingers’, where he sings of going
back to the Clifton area of Nottingham to see his old friends whilst at the
same time ‘avoiding the Feds’. This is another Jake Bugg A-side.
The
singles continue back-to-back with another cracking song, ‘Taste It’, which
really starts to give the impression that this is a ‘Greatest Hits’ album – no mean
feat for the 18-year olds debut long player.
Next up
is my own personal favourite of this 14-song set of originals, ‘Seen It All’,
about going to a party having taken a few pills to then discover that most of
the other part goers are packing knives and the mounting tension boils over.
The mood
turns more acoustic with the delicate but beautiful, ‘Simple As This’, and the
style remains similar for yet another single, ‘Country Song’.
This
impressive debut album continues to impress throughout with ‘Note To Self’
being my highlight of the remaining songs.
Jake Bugg
is clearly a very gifted singer, musician and songwriter and I will be
interested to see how far he can take it. And whilst we have the young talent
of Jake Bugg, along with The Strypes of course, then the music scene promises
to stay vibrant for some time to come.
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