JAKE BUGG: JAKE BUGG 15.10.2012

Album Review: Jake Bugg (U.K.), Jake Bugg, Released: 15.10.2012, Label: Mercury, Available on C.D. & Vinyl. 

I purchased this on the strength on Jake's song 'Country Song', which I have found to be a beautiful and economic song with superb guitar picking. Jake is a nineteen year singer-songwriter musician from Nottingham. His vocals sound gentle (never sounding strained) and distinctly old-fashioned, this is not a criticism as it suits his songs very well.

The first song, 'Lightning Bolt', I had heard him perform on Later with Jools Holland, and was not impressed at the time, though hearing now on the album, I find it to be a great rollicking rock 'n' roll song, and a very good start to the album. It is a song that grabs your attention. Track two, 'Two Finger' is more good rock 'n' roll, though the lyrics I find slightly juvenile. Track three, 'Taste It' is more rock 'n' roll, as good as lightning bolt, though very short. Track four, 'Seen It All' continues in style and quality from the previous track. Track five, 'Simple As This', is a beautiful song, in a more mellow vain, which beautifully precedes the great 'Country Song' (Track six). Track seven, 'Broken' is a slow beautiful piece that has well measured soaring moments. Track eight, 'Trouble Town' is stripped back uptempo rock 'n' roll that borders on skiffle, another great track. Track nine, 'Ballad Of Mr Jones', has a dust bowl sensibility, although not great, it is not a disappointment amongst the other songs. Track ten, 'Slide' is a perfectly decent song. Track eleven, 'Someone Told Me' is as beautiful as 'Country Song', and shows that his restrained guitar picking ability was not a one of. Track twelve, 'Note To Self', is a further gentle and beautiful song. Track thirteen, 'Someplace', is mostly gentle (in moments beautifully subtle) with occasional electrified loader moments, this is about as grandiose as he gets. Track fourteen, 'Fire' has a gentle ska rhythm and his vocal borders on sounding like Paolo Nutini, this is not a criticism, though the track is too short in my view, sounding unfinished.        

Lyrically the album is great, except track two, displaying a skill uncommon in this day 'n' age for someone so young. There is only one track I would willingly skip and that is 'Two Fingers'. It is also nice to hear someone who appears to have a confidence in regard to his lyric writing and to keep songs concise; there is nothing that appears bloated or indulgent. This collection is refreshingly unfussy with good variety, and it shows great promise if he were to continue to produce work of this ilk. It is lovely to have such a young artist come along with talent clearly in abundance, who is the antithesis of the manufactured pap that is so common today.   
(Purchased on C.D.).

Rating: 09/10.