Jake
Bugg is not your ordinary nineteen year old musician. In a world where the likes
of Justin Bieber and One Direction churn out predictably boring pop music, this
guy comes on to the scene channelling Bob Dylan on his self-titled debut, and
in the process goes straight to number one on the UK album chart. Influenced by
the likes of Donovan and Don McLean, Jake Bugg grew up in Nottingham England on
a rough council estate and took up music after hearing a Don McLean song “Vincet
(Starry, Starry Night) on The Simpsons. Such influences become all too clear
when the guitar chords come in on the opening track “Lightening Bolt” and you
first hear his uniquely different voice. Immediately you think of that early
Dylan twang, and then you remember he is only 18-19...WHAT? You say, someone of
his age should not be singing in this style, right? But in reality this guy is
a breath of fresh air. Even on the most pop sounding track on the record “Two
Fingers” he draws on the past, you hear a skiffle beat reminiscent of early
Beatles, and a melody during the chorus that could have been pulled straight
off a La’s album. On the same song he sings of “skinning up a fat one, and
hiding from the feds” obviously in relation to his childhood growing up on the
streets of Nottingham, a theme he draws on throughout the album. The first half
of the album is definitely stronger later in the album the songs tend to drift and
become a bit too mellow in places, but all together this is a great first up
effort from a real talent. I very much look forward to what he comes up with
next.
B+
- Sam
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